Bacteria living in concrete destroy bridges, houses and roads

The authors of the new work have proven that there is life in concrete, despite its harsh, dry, salty environment and

the typical pH level is around 12.5.For comparison, the same pH level is found in bleach or oven cleaner. Today, concrete is very common as a building material, it is used for buildings, roads, bridges, etc.

In a new study, Julie Maresca, assistant professorDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, together with students, proved that bacterial communities live in concrete and destroy it. The authors studied not only the surface bacteria that appear after pouring, but also those that live inside. 

Bacteria that immediately appeared in concretetestify to the reactions of alkali and silica: this reaction destroys the concrete. As a rule, this is noticeable only when cracks are formed in the concrete, and before that the destruction remains invisible.

Concrete exploitation problem can haveserious consequences, if, for example, a concrete house with people or a bridge on which cars drive began to collapse. In order to prevent this, the authors study what types of bacteria get into concrete: can it be divided into neutral and dangerous and how to make concrete impossible for the life of bacteria that destroy it. The authors continue their work in this direction.

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