Living near a Great Lake, Winter always spells disaster for the roads—and for cars. There's a joke that our area has a fifth season—"Construction Season"—since the roads are always being worked on. A big reason is due to the snow and ice constantly causing new potholes that need to be patched.
But the never-ending cycle might just have an actual end in sight due to a new type of asphalt that would have the ability to heal itself when cracks begin to form.
Alexis Gajewski, senior editor for Plant Services recently reported that researchers from Swansea University and King’s College London have partnered with scientists in Chile to eliminate potholes by engineering this new self-healing asphalt material by using tiny, porous materials known as spores. When cracks in the asphalt begin to form, the spores release recycled oils that help to reverse the process. Despite the complexity of the asphalt, the team reported that microcracks could be completely healed in less than an hour.
"In our research, we want to mimic the healing properties observed in nature. For example, when a tree or animal is cut, their wounds naturally heal over time, using their own biology. Creating asphalt that can heal itself will increase the durability of roads and reduce the need for people to fill in potholes," said Dr. Francisco Martin-Martinez, an expert in computational chemistry at King's College London.
