Building and Construction Authority 52 Jurong Gateway Road #11-01 Singapore 608550 Dear Sir/Madam, Re: Proposal to Implement Self-Healing Bacteria Agent into Concrete Enclosed for your kind consideration is a response toward the request for a proposal on developing solutions for an engineering problem in Singapore. The enclosed report has been prepared with the objective of implementing a self-healing bacteria agent into today’s concrete mix practices to heal cracks located in historical buildings. This proposal explores the lack of self-healing properties in the concrete structures of historical buildings located in Singapore and discusses the mechanism of the self-healing bacteria agent, which consists of calcium lactate and a bacteria called “bacillus”. The benefits and limitations of our proposed solution are provided as well. In conjunction with Singapore’s efforts to preserve its heritage, implementing a self-healing bacteria agent into concrete mix practices to...
Implementing Self-Healing Bacteria Agents in Concrete to Heal Cracks in Historical Buildings Introduction This report has been developed in response to the request for proposals on developing solutions for engineering problems. 1.1 Background Information Preserving our heritage through buildings is essential for our future generations. Buildings such as the Old Parliament House, which was built in 1827, are rich in the culture and heritage of Singapore. These buildings were constructed mainly with concrete, which consists of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), which is known to deteriorate over a long period. The deterioration of the concrete in Singapore is mainly due to the shrinkage caused by high temperatures and the acidity of rain. According to Hu, Balasubramanian, and Wu (2003), Singapore’s rainwater is “typically acidic” due to impurities from the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide. According to “Types and Causes of Concrete Deterioration” (n.d), concrete h...