Recent advances in microbial viability and self-healing performance in bacterial-based cementitious materials: A review

•Microbial viability in concrete can be determined by various environmental factors.•Usage of bio-carrier have been proposed to enhance the self-healing properties.•Computational healing model are useful for determining the proper self-healing agent. In efforts to secure long-term concrete durability performances, studies on bio-mineralization mediated self-healing concrete as an eco-friendly and sustainable crack-healing method have been widely conducted. In the self-healing mechanism using bio-mineralization, carbonate minerals generated by biochemical metabolism of bacteria fill cracks and/or voids in the concrete. The microbial viability and biochemical metabolism in the concrete could be influenced by various environmental factors in the interior and exterior of the concrete. Moreover, the bacterial viability could be significantly reduced upon exposure to extreme environments formed as the cement hydration proceeds during concrete curing. This paper covers the various factors affecting the bacterial viability and self-healing performance. Furthermore, advanced applications for enhancing the bacterial viability and self-healing efficiency are reviewed. The present review paper summarizes the current issues and proposes needs for further research in order to promote the efficient application of bio-mineralization for self-healing concrete.