Transforming Concrete Resilience: Investigating High-Temperature Effects on Self-Healing Properties

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Since urbanization and climate are getting stronger, for sustainable development it is crucial to enhance the safety and durability of construction materials. TRaaSH aims to study the response of Self-Healing Concrete (SHC) at elevated temperatures and to develop temperatures dependent properties for SHC. SHC is one of the modern concrete types inspired from the natural process of human wound healing and developed to ensure the longevity and durability of concrete structures. Extending the service life of structures is essential for reducing carbon footprints of the construction industry and managing construction waste. Current research on SHC focuses primarily on its mechanical properties and crack healing efficiency under normal conditions and ambient temperatures. Due to lack of investigations, significant research gaps exist in understanding the performance of SHC at elevated temperatures and in fire exposure scenarios. Understating the response of SHC at elevated temperatures is crucial for ensuring the safety of occupants/users and for the sustainability of concrete structures. TraaSH adopts a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach, bridging together material science, rigorous fire resistance testing, post-fire structural integrity, thermal analysis and structural fire engineering. With Dr. Naveed Alam's support and expertise in structural fire engineering, this fellowship will train me in advanced fire safety engineering and computational modeling, enhancing my knowledge of self-healing technologies. The findings from this interdisciplinary research will help with sustainable construction which will in turn reduce the construction sector's environmental impact contributing to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities. The project will also help with industrial innovation (SDG9) and will ensure responsible consumption of material (SDG12).