ABSTRACT
In concrete, cracking is a common phenomenon due to the relatively low tensile strength. Without immediate and proper treatment, cracks tend to expand further and eventually require costly repair. If microcracks grow and reach the reinforcement, not only the concrete itself may be attacked. Also the reinforcement may corrode when it is exposed to water and oxygen, and possibly carbon dioxide and chlorides. For crack repair, a variety of techniques is available. Injection with epoxy resin or cement grout are the most popular ones. Traditional repair systems have a number of disadvantageous aspects. Therefore bacterial induced calcium carbonate deposition has been proposed as an alternative and environment friendly crack repair technique.
