Wow, living in the part of the country where weather causes a lot of damage to roads, sidewalks, etc, I see a lot of cracked concrete, and it is very expensive to fix.
This could be a wonderful alternative to the current way roads are built.
I bet, though, that labor unions will object to this brilliant idea.
Do read the entire article, it’s short and very informative.
The bacillus bacteria comes out of its spore hibernation when activated by water and thrives in the concrete environment. They’re stored in a small plastic bubble along with calcium lactate, which is mixed in with the concrete. When cracks form and water gets in, it melts the plastic shell, exposing the bacteria to the water. The microorganisms come out of dormancy and feed on the calcium lactate, producing limestone inside the concrete.