Home ownership is tiring. You have to mow the lawn,
trim the shrubs, rake the leaves, clean the gutters, shovel the walk, sand and
salt the driveway, repaint, wallpaper. Aaaarrrggghhh, it’s never ending. And
sometimes … it seems like the most benign task becomes a major project; I lose
count of my trips to the hardware store.
 |
| Courtesy Google Images |
Want to get rid of those cracks in your home’s
foundation? There’s hope. Researchers at Delft Technical University in the Netherlands
are developing self-repairing concrete. FutureTimeline.net reports that microbiologist Henk Jonkers and concrete specialist Erik Schlangen have created a self-healing concrete by adding
inactive bacteria to the concrete mixture.
The theory? When a small crack forms in concrete it becomes
exposed to the elements. Water seeps into the crack, activates the bacteria,
and helps turn calcium in the nutrients into limestone which fills the cracks.
How cool is it that scientists are figuring out how to grow concrete?
What I wouldn’t give for a lawn that mowed itself or
a room where the paint never faded, dulled or chipped. Wouldn’t it be great if scientists
could, somehow, transfer this type of technology to other aspects of home care?
No comments:
Post a Comment