The increasing demand for durable and sustainable infrastructure has encouraged researchers to develop advanced materials capable of sensing, responding, and repairing themselves. Conventional construction materials such as concrete and steel exhibit excellent mechanical properties; however, their long-term durability is affected by cracking, corrosion, fatigue, chemical attack, and environmental degradation. The development of smart structures and self-healing materials provides a new approach for improving structural reliability and extending service life.

Smart structures combine traditional structural materials with sensing technologies, intelligent materials, and control mechanisms to monitor structural behaviour and respond to external changes. Self-healing materials introduce autonomous repair mechanisms inspired by biological systems, enabling materials to restore damaged regions without conventional repair methods. Recent research has demonstrated applications of these technologies in smart concrete, structural health monitoring systems, aerospace components, transportation infrastructure, and sustainable construction.

This paper presents a comprehensive review of smart structures and self-healing materials, including their working principles, classifications, development, applications, advantages, limitations, and future research directions.

 Keywords: Smart Structures, Self-Healing Materials, Smart Concrete, Structural Health Monitoring, Intelligent Materials, Sustainable Infrastructure.