Self-healing concrete

Repeated freeze and thaw cycles during harsh winters can wreak havoc on concrete, as water enters seams, freezes, and splits materials apart—thus creating large fissures for the process to repeat itself in a progressive process, also leading to corrosion of steel reinforcements embedded in the concrete. Researchers at Purdue University are developing a variety of concrete additives containing "internal curing agents" that "absorb water and feed it into chemical reactions" which form solids to seal the crack.

This points towards a future where concrete may enjoy a new heyday as a low-cost, low-maintenance construction material of great durability and strength.