Materials and Structures/Matériaux et Constructions, Vol.

31, October 1998, pp 563-567

1359-5997/98 © RILEM

Self-sealing, autogenous healing and continued

hydration: What is the difference?
ABSTRACT
It is well known that as concrete hydrates its permeability decreases. Continued hydration, however, is not
the only mechanism which causes such reduction. Self-sealing, which is largely attributed to the dissolution
and redeposition of hydrates, and autogenous healing of cracks, can also significantly reduce the flow. This
paper reviews the relative effects of self-sealing, autogenous healing and hydration.
Paper received: April 29, 1997; Paper accepted: July 15, 1997
Editorial Note
Dr. N. Hearn is a RILEM Affiliate Member. She is active in the work of Technical Committee 146-TCF (Tightness of Concrete with
Respect to
Fluids).
This paper was accepted in the former category of “Review Paper” and as such is published as a Technical Report.

Nataliya Hearn
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A4
TECHNICAL REPORTS

1. INTRODUCTION
Durability of concrete structures exposed to different environments has become a predominant concern in the
concrete industry. Penetrability, which includes permeability, diffusion and absorption, of concrete to an
aggressive environment determines the deterioration rate. Permeability testing of concrete, in order to control
durability of the mix design on a significant project, is becoming more common. A number of recent projects
(such as the Channel Tunnel) have included in their specifications water permeability for assessing durability,
even though water permeability of saturated concrete is seldom encountered in ordinary concrete construction.
Saturated water permeability is chosen as it provides information on the connectivity of the pore structure and
is simple and relatively quick to test. Saturated permeability of concrete involves only one fluid transport
mechanism, usually obeying D’Arcy’s law. It has, however, been frequently reported that, during saturated
water permeability tests, the flow decreases in some cases by more than an order of magnitude within the first
24 hours of testing. This time dependent variation in flow can be due to continuing hydration, autogenous
healing and/or the self-sealing effect. (SSE). The term SSE has been used to encompass both autogenous
healing and continued hydration. These three phenomena, however, occur under different boundary conditions
and thus should be differentiated to clarify water permeability testing and data analysis. The interpretation of
water permeability results is critical in the design of water retaining structures, estimation of transport rates of
aggressive elements and thus, service life prediction. The reduction in flow is of particular importance in
assessment of the mass transport process in crack damaged concrete. Previous studies have shown considerable
reduction in flow through large (up to 0.3mm) isolated cracks [1] and uniformally distributed drying-shrinkage
cracks [2]. Mass transfer in cracked concrete, in particular chloride ion diffusion, has been shown to increase
[3, 4]. At the same time, the studies on the reduction in flow in damaged concrete showed improved tightness
of concrete to water [2] and chloride ions [5] with time. These results are supported by field studies [6] on
marine bridge columns, where significantly lower chloride ion levels were found than would be expected from
linear extrapolation of initial diffusion coefficients. In the literature, the reduction in flow seems to have
sporadic occurrence, with some specimens exhibiting a decrease in flow, while others with similar composition
do not. The reporting of this decrease has also been sporadic, as some researchers only recorded the initial
flows [1, 2], while others [9] waited until constant permeability was reached. There are merits for both
procedures. It can be argued that the initial flows, as in the case of absorption tests measuring sorptivity, are
more representative of the concrete permeability in the “as is” state. The decrease in the initial flow, however,
can be significantly rapid (several hours), so that depending on the operator and the time of the first reading a
difference of an order of magnitude can be observed. Measurement of the permeability after flow has stabilized
is performed on a pore system which has undergone modification, and may significantly increase the length of
testing, which may not be practical. Both approaches, however, avoid addressing the mechanism of the
decrease altogether. This paper reviews the reduction in flow due to SSE, autogenous healing and continued
hydration.

2. SELF-SEALING EFFECT
The SSE in concrete has puzzled researchers for over a hundred years [10]. Among dozens of papers on water
permeability, very few address the effect of SSE on permeability. In most studies, reasons for the decrease are
assumed without theoretical or experimental support. Sometimes the apparent decrease in permeability is due
to the unsaturated state of the specimen at the start of the permeability test, and is incorrectly ascribed to SSE.
This mistake is especially common in investigations where only the inflow is recorded and the through flow
remains unknown. The observed initial high flows result from the filling of empty pores [11]. In many research
papers on water permeability, an average permeability over the test period is used in data analysis, or
permeability is taken at a specified time, so that the issue of self-sealing is masked. For instance, Butler [7]
suggested that the first 24 hour period gives a more representative permeability for concrete, while Dhir et
al. [8] recorded only the initial permeability results. Day et al. [13] questioned such practice, as they found that
the greatest decrease occurs within the first 24 hours of flow. The possible self-sealing mechanisms proposed
in the various studies can be summarized as follows:
1. air in the HCP matrix:
a) incomplete saturation of the test specimen [11, 13 17] or
b) dissolution of air under pressure, into permeating water [16, 18];
2. swelling of HCP [14, 18];
3. chemical interaction of water and HCP:
a) continued hydration of residual clinker [8, 14, 16, 19-21],
b) dissolution and deposition of soluble hydrates, such as Ca(OH)2, along the flow path [8, 13, 16, 17, 22, 23],
c) carbonation of dissolved Ca(OH)2 [13, 14, 16, 20];
4. osmotic pressure [22]; and
5. physical clogging caused by downstream movement of loose particles in the HCP matrix in a process
analogous to sediment transport and formation of a filter cake [8, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20, 21, 24]. The proposed
mechanisms may be divided into two groups: those that cause non-permanent reduction in permeability, i.e. if
the specimen is retested, the initially high permeability level may be re-established; and those that permanently
modify the microstructure of the tested specimen, thus changing its permeability characteristics. The latter are
of primary importance, as the SSE is not a product of a particular testing procedure, but results from the
interaction between the microstructure and the permeating fluid.

2.1 False SSE

The false or non-permanent SSE includes air in the HCP matrix and swelling of the hydration layers and
osmotic pressure. In the literature, as discussed above, what is often interpreted as SSE is in reality due to
incomplete saturation. In some studies, flow into dry concrete [14, 15] included both the rates of absorption
and through flow. In other studies, the curing regime did not allow for complete saturation. It has been
observed [8, 13] that moist curing in a fog room is insufficient for complete saturation. Vacuum saturation
techniques are only effective if the sample is initially dry. Day et al. [13] showed that evacuation under water
(even for 30 days) of a partially saturated sample (cured in a fog room) did not produce any weight gain, while
the same sample under the hydrostatic pressure of a permeability test gained weight equivalent to 25% to 50%
of the through flow. The problems of poor saturation are easily detected in permeability experiments. The two
key indicators are: unequal inflow and outflow at the start of the test and weight gain during the test (Fig. 1).
In some experiments, apparent SSE may result from gas dissolution in the permeant, when the permeant is
pressurised by gas without an interface. As the pressure drops across the test specimen, the gas is released from
the solution resulting in pore blocking [18, 25]. This type of pore blocking is reversible, and Markestad [18]
stated that use of de-aired water effectively eliminates blockage of pores with air bubbles. It is well known that
movement of water into or out of a cement-bound matrix results in swelling or shrinkage unless the HCP is
stabilized by steam curing. Swelling caused by expansion of the C-S-H gel layers results in restriction of flow
paths. The significance of the swelling/shrinkage of the cement hydrate on permeability was demonstrated by
Hearn [27] in the propan-2 -ol/water replacement tests. It was shown that the dilation process occurred during
preliminary saturation before permeation was started. Thus, the reduction in flow due to swelling occurs during
the saturation process and not during permeability testing. Dissolution of alkalies by permeating water may
result in concentration gradient causing osmotic pressure. Powers et al. [26] indicated that the correction of
permeability data for osmotic pressure is less than 10 percent. Hearn [2] found it to be on the order of 2
percent.

2.2 Permanent SSE

The potential reasons for the permanent SSE include: chemical interaction of water and HCP, osmotic pres-
sure, and physical clogging. Prior to previous work by the author [2], the only thorough analysis of the self-
sealing phenomenon was published by Glanville in 1926 [14]. Glanville concluded that, depending on the
applied pressure used during testing and the amount of cement in the mix, the SSE is due to silting under high
pressures and continued hydration and swelling in the case of rich mixes tested under lower pressures. Sixty-
five years later, Kermani [19] also stated that “the amount of SSE attributable to each cause depends upon the
conditions of the test and constituents of the concrete” (at high pressures, physical clogging, and at lower
pressures, swelling and continued hydration). Lawrence [16] found that drying and resaturation results in a
substantial increase in the SSE. Hearn [2] confirmed these results (Fig. 2), attributing the “triggering” of the
SSE after drying to the shrinkage cracking, which exposes previously unexposed hydrates to the pore
water. This results in the increased rate of hydration, and dissolution and redeposition of hydrates causing pore
blocking and thus reduced permeability. Analysis using solvent replacement [26] and SEM [27] confirmed
dissolution and redeposition process as the major mechanism behind the SSE. Physical clogging has been the
most commonly quoted reason for the SSE; the evidence, however, has been scarce [8, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20, 24].
3. AUTOGENOUS HEALING
The term autogenous healing refers to the ability of cement to heal cracks in fractured concrete. This heal-
ing process is common in concrete water-retaining structures, culverts and pipes. First detected by the
French Academy of Science in 1836, it has been studied in detail, especially in connection with pipes and other
water-retaining structures [29, 30]. The white crystalline precipitate which fills and forms scar tissue over
cracks results from either the reaction between calcium hydrogen carbonate (Ca(HCO3)2 from water and cal-
cium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) from the concrete, or the carbonation of calcium hydroxide on exposure to the
atmosphere [1]. Analysis of the literature, however, has indicated that the systematic investigations of
autogenous healing phenomenon have presented conflicting autogenous healing mechanisms. In the studies by
Sorker and Deson [31], Brandeis [32], and Turner [33], it was assumed that autogenous healing was due to
continuing hydration which bridged cracks with growth of hydration prod Hearn
Fig. 1 – a) Inflow and outflow rates for unsaturated concrete.
b) Inflow and outflow permeability during the self-sealing
process. Typical data from Hearn [28].
Fig. 2 – Typical permeability vs time data for virgin (a) and oven
dry/resaturated (b) concrete [28].

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Materials and Structures/Matériaux et Constructions, Vol. 31, October 1998
ucts. Loving [29] was the first to postulate the carbonation reaction, after discovering that calcium carbonate
deposits in cracks of pipe culverts. Lauer and Slate [34], in their work on the effect of autogenous healing on
the strength recovery of cracked concrete, confirmed that the sealing material was indeed crystals of
CaCO3 together with Ca(OH)2 deposits. The effect of continuing hydration, however, was not analyzed even
though the test samples were young (1 to 28 days). Moreover, their investigation was conducted in non-
flowing water, and thus may not directly correspond to the autogenous healing mechanism for the flow
through concrete cracks. Clear [1] conducted an in-depth investigation of autogenous healing of cracks using
flowing water conditions. He found that CaCO3 crystals appeared only after prolonged exposure to water flow
(over 7 days), and attributed the initial substantial reduction in flow to mechanical blocking of cracks. He did
not present evidence to support the mechanical blocking hypothesis. The rate of healing depended on the initial
effective width of crack, with narrower cracks sealing faster than the wider ones. Review of existing research
indicates that the carbonation reaction model is that favoured to explain autogenous healing. Other possible
mechanisms such as continuing hydration or mechanical blockage by water-borne debris have received scant
attention, even though they may well make a considerable contribution to the healing process. The two major
differences between autogenous healing and SSE are (a) major cracks are not a prerequisite for SSE; and (b)
SSE is observed in a system closed to CO2, where carbonation of dissolved Ca(OH)2 is not possible. Although
carbonation cannot occur in a closed system, other mechanisms, such as continued hydration and/or water-
borne transport of loose particles, may partially contribute to both autogenous healing and SSE.
4. HYDRATION
The effect of continuing hydration on the reduction in the permeability is shown in Fig. 3. The permeability
drop due to hydration can be four orders of magnitude, between the initial permeability of young paste and a
well hydrated system. In saturated permeability tests, however, unless the specimens are tested at an early age,
it is expected that significant hydration has taken place, so that the reduction in flow due to hydration would
have a minimal effect (Fig. 3). Such decrease is unlike that found in SSE curves (Fig. 2b), where initial perme-
ability decreases rapidly.
5. SUMMARY
SSE, autogenous healing and continuing hydration can reduce the permeability of concrete by more than an
order of magnitude during permeability testing. In the case of SSE and autogenous healing, the decrease is
most significant in the first 100 hours of testing. For mature specimens, continued hydration has a minimal
effect during the course of permeability testing, and it is uniformally distributed. The major distinction
between the three phenomena is the conditions under which they occur. The hydration will proceed as long as
water is available and can access the unhydrated material, and there is space for deposition of hydration
products. The SSE becomes significant after extensive microcracking, usually caused by drying. Autogenous
healing is of importance where most of the flow takes place through cracks exposed to the atmosphere. Both
SSE and autogenous healing are flow dependant, while continued hydration may proceed under stagnant
conditions. There is also significant interdependence between the three phenomena. The dependence of SSE
and autogenous healing on cracking is a function of the increased dissolution process, once the previously
unexposed hydrates come into contact with the pore water. If unhydrated material is available, the hydration
rate will also be affected, as cracking of hydration shells will provide a path to the unhydrated material.
Since these three phenomena reduce flow in intact and crack damaged concrete, analysis of concrete’s
impermeability should take this internal healing into account. In assessment of permeability data, initial and
final readings become significant, as they represent the potential “immune” system of the material. The
understanding of these phenomena is not only significant in the analysis of saturated water transport
through concrete, but also in other mass transport mechanisms. Interaction between water molecules and the
cement matrix will occur at all levels of saturation. Accounting for such interaction is particularly important
in connection with service life prediction. Concrete capable of improved resistance with time to penetration
of water, and aggressive elements dissolved in it, will perform significantly better than would be predicted by
models based on the initial permeability data.

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