Advances in Smart Concrete: A Comparative Review of Self-Sensing and Self-Healing Systems

Concrete production is a substantial contributor to global carbon emissions. Because of this, there have been many efforts to develop advanced construction materials that improve durability, reduce maintenance requirements, and extend the service life of infrastructure. Smart concrete has become a potentially promising alternative to conventional concrete. This new type of concrete possesses self-sensing and self-healing capabilities. This review synthesizes current research on smart concrete technologies, specifically focusing on the materials, mechanisms, benefits, and limitations of smart concrete. Self-sensing approaches, including the addition of carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, graphene-based materials, and steel fibers into the concrete mix, are evaluated with respect to sensing performance, mechanical enhancement, manufacturability, and cost. Self-healing strategies of smart concrete, which include autogenous healing, calcium carbonate mineralization, fiber-assisted healing, supplementary cementitious materials, superabsorbent polymers, encapsulated healing agents, and bacteria-based systems, are also thoroughly examined. Additionally, the review identifies key barriers that are currently limiting the widespread adoption of smart concrete at scale, including high material costs, manufacturing complexity, lack of standardized testing frameworks, regulatory uncertainty, and challenges associated with data integration and long-term monitoring. Considerations surrounding sustainability are also assessed, including embodied carbon, ecological risks associated with nanomaterials and biological systems, and end-of-life recycling limitations. While smart concrete currently possesses substantial potential to improve infrastructure resilience and reduce lifecycle maintenance demands, significant technical, economic, and regulatory challenges remain. In order for smart concrete to be adopted at scale, there will have to be improvements in the standardization of evaluation methods, expansion of long-term field validation, and development of manufacturing approaches that prioritize the balance of performance, scalability, and environmental sustainability.