Summary Draft 1 - "The Self-Healing Concrete..."

In the article “The Self-Healing Concrete…” Spinks (2015), Spinks shares a new green technology by Hendrik Jonkers, a microbiologist at Delft University. His innovation increases the lifespan of concrete by embedding self-activating limestone-producing bacteria into building material.

Jonker hopes to decrease production of new concrete and lower maintenance and repair costs of essential concrete infrastructures which amounts to about €6bn (S$9.6b) in Europe annually. The self-healing concrete costs €100/m³(S$167), €30 (S$48) more than normal concrete. Although this new green technology sounds promising, Spinks mentions that it cannot cure cracks wider than 0.8mm. John Alker, director of policy at the UK Green Building Council, believes that a breakthrough for this new green technology will be tough and it is up to clients and developers’ willingness to try it. Jonkers’ innovation has been used for a concrete irrigation system project in Ecuador and is being tested in developing countries all over the world. (152 Words)