Self-Healing Concrete

For the past 15 years, Victor Li and his colleges have been developing various breeds of next-generation concrete.  Their latest version is extremely flexible, and can heal cracks with the help of some light moisture. If this concrete composite is cracked in any way, dry material exposed by the opening reacts with water and carbon dioxide in the air to form scar tissue made of calcium carbonate.

This material does cost three times as much as traditional concrete, but will save money over time, due to decreased maintenance costs.

[National Geographic via Gizmodo]