Abstract

The growing demands on infrastructure, coupled with climate change and urban expansion, have accelerated deterioration rates, increasing maintenance costs and environmental impacts. Self-healing materials present a transformative solution, enabling structures to autonomously detect and repair damage, thus extending service life and reducing resource consumption. This paper investigates recent advancements in self-healing materials for infrastructure applications, including microcapsule-based systems, vascular networks, bacterial-induced mineralization, and shape-memory polymers. Emphasis is placed on their mechanisms of healing, durability under cyclic loading, and compatibility with conventional construction materials such as concrete, asphalt, and steel. The integration of nanomaterials, like carbon nanotubes and graphene, is examined for their role in enhancing crack detection, conductivity, and mechanical recovery. Life-cycle assessments indicate significant reductions in maintenance frequency, CO₂ emissions, and total ownership costs when self-healing systems are adopted. Case studies from bridges, tunnels, and smart pavements demonstrate practical feasibility, including pilot projects using bacteria-based self-healing concrete in the Netherlands and polymeric coatings for corrosion protection in coastal environments. Challenges such as scalability, cost, healing efficiency in extreme climates, and regulatory approval are critically discussed. The study concludes that widespread adoption of self-healing materials could shift infrastructure management from reactive repairs to proactive longevity strategies, aligning with global sustainability and resilience goals.