To in-situ construct a layer of ductile and dense skin in protecting the born concrete matrix of reinforced concrete

It is well known that the invention of reinforced concrete revolutionized the construction industry because the two materials can act uniformly in resisting forces. In this communication, we propose a biomimetic idea of in-situ constructing a layer of ductile and dense skin as the outer layer of the born concrete matrix just like the role of animal skin, then the whole reinforced concrete unit can be inherently upgraded and protected. •A concept of an in-situ constructed ductile ductile and dense skin for the born concrete of reinforced concrete is proposed.•The skin of concrete matrix is a layer of the nonwoven reinforced cementitious composite automatically generated during the setting and hardening of fresh concrete.•The in-situ constructed skin lets the born reinforced concrete own an innate armor to inherently upgrade the resistance of concrete against the stress deterioration and durability.