On August 19, self-healing concrete additives developed by DMAT, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) spin-off, have been used in underground water tanks, highway barriers, pavements, and repair projects in Italy and Switzerland. The technology is based on calcium-rich lime clasts found in ancient Roman concrete. By adjusting modern concrete formulations, the material releases calcium upon the formation of fine cracks and exposure to water, subsequently forming calcium carbonate that fills the cracks.
The technical foundation comes from research published in 2023 by MIT, Harvard University, and research institutions in Italy and Switzerland. The research team prepared concrete specimens containing quicklime using a hot-mixing method, then actively induced cracks and continuously applied water. Within two weeks, the cracks in specimens containing lime clasts fully closed and water seepage stopped, while control specimens without quicklime did not exhibit the same repair effect.
After obtaining the relevant technology license from MIT, DMAT further developed proprietary fillers and formulations applicable to concrete and mortar. The product can be incorporated into existing concrete production processes, with mix proportions adjustable for applications such as precast components, ready-mixed concrete, and structural repair. The company has also launched a pre-blended bagged mortar for structural repair and has obtained product certification for the European market.
In the N13 highway project in Switzerland, DMAT provided R3-grade self-healing structural mortar, mix design, and on-site technical services for retaining wall repair. Company project data shows that this mortar reduces carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 60% compared to conventional repair mortar, achieves tensile strain capacity three times that of the base concrete, and lowers material costs by about 59%.
An Italian precast concrete highway barrier project adopted DMAT formulations to reduce clinker content. Company test results show that this approach cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 10% compared to traditional barrier concrete and reduces the carbonation coefficient by 36%. Comprehensive data from MIT indicates that DMAT additives can extend the service life of concrete structures by approximately 50%, and carbon dioxide emissions for certain formulations can be reduced to 40% of those of traditional concrete.
DMAT currently supplies concrete additives and repair mortar in Europe and is seeking pilot project partners in the U.S. and UAE markets. Existing applications demonstrate that the technology has moved beyond the laboratory validation stage, but emission reduction ratios vary considerably across different formulations, and specific performance still depends on clinker replacement ratios, component types, and engineering service conditions.