Biocalcification of Sand through Ureolysis
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 137, Issue 12
Abstract
Biological processes may provide great and previously unexplored opportunities for cost-effective, in situ improvement of the engineering properties of soil. A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the changes in geomechanical properties of sand attributable to the formation of calcium precipitates induced through ureolysis catalyzed by Sporosarcina pasteurii (S. pasteurii). Specifically, direct shear and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) tests were conducted on sand specimens subjected to treatment by growing, resting, and dead S. pasteurii cells in completely stirred tank reactors and completely mixed biofilm reactors, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy analyses were also conducted to evaluate microbially induced precipitation. The results of the study show that the bacterial cells effectively improved the geomechanical properties of the sand. Growing cells improved the sand properties owing to microbially induced precipitation and related pore volume changes, whereas dead and resting cells generally caused smaller increases in friction angle and bearing strength. Analysis of the sand from CBR specimens treated with growing cells demonstrated that the microbial and chemical processes both contributed to the clogging of the porous medium.
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Acknowledgments
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. NSFCMS-05-28171. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science FoundationNSF. The writers acknowledge Professor Sookie S. Bang (South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD, USA) for providing the original Sporosarcina pasteurii strain 11859 culture used in these experiments.
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© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jul 10, 2009
Accepted: Mar 10, 2011
Published online: Mar 12, 2011
Published in print: Dec 1, 2011
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