Augmenting Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation of Soil with the Capability to Self-Heal
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 146, Issue 4
Abstract
Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is increasingly being explored as a potential ground improvement mechanism, both for improved mechanical performance and groundwater control. However, the formation of a brittle cemented monolith will produce structures susceptible to chemical or physical deterioration over time, requiring potentially costly maintenance in the future. We present a demonstration of the potential for a simple and durable self-healing mechanism to be incorporated within the MICP process that allows the monolith to automatically respond to and heal damage. By selecting a bacterium capable of both causing MICP and surviving long periods and harsh conditions as a spore, it is demonstrated that such an organism can be entombed within calcium carbonate precipitates of its own making, survive in a senescent state, and ultimately germinate upon damage to the encapsulating precipitate matrix. The organism is then capable of producing further calcium carbonate to heal the damage. It has further been shown that this mechanism can be used to initially cement a mass of sand, survive damage and deterioration, and respond to restore the functionality of the stabilized mass, exhibiting the potential for such a system to provide “smart” autonomous stabilized soil structures that offer enhanced durability and reduced maintenance.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Information on the data underpinning the results presented here, including how to access them, can be found in the Cardiff University data catalogue at https://doi.org/10.17035/d.2020.0097363828.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the BRE Trust for providing the studentship of the first author. The work was carried out as part of the Materials for Life project of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC Project Ref. EP/K026631/1).
References
Alfa, M. J., and M. Jackson. 2001. “A new hydrogen peroxide-based medical-device detergent with germicidal properties: Comparison with enzymatic cleaners.” Am. J. Infect. Control 29 (3): 168–177. https://doi.org/10.1067/mic.2001.113616.
Botusharova, S. P. 2017. “Self-healing geotechnical structures via microbial action.” Ph.D. thesis, School of Engineering, Cardiff Univ.
BSI (British Standards Institution). 1990. Soils for civil engineering purposes. Part 7: Shear strength tests (total stresses). BS 1377-7. London: BSI.
Cassidy, M. B., H. Lee, and J. T. Trevors. 1996. “Environmental applications of immobilized microbial cells: A review.” J. Ind. Microbiol. 16 (2): 79–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01570068.
Chu, J., V. Ivanov, V. Stabnikov, and B. Li. 2013. “Microbial method for construction of an aquaculture pond in sand.” Géotechnique 63 (10): 871–875. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.SIP13.P.007.
Cunningham, A. B., R. Gerlach, L. Spangler, and A. C. Mitchell. 2009. “Microbially enhanced geologic containment of sequestered supercritical CO2.” Energy Procedia 1 (1): 3245–3252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2009.02.109.
DeJong, J. T., et al. 2013. “Biogeochemical processes and geotechnical applications: Progress, opportunities and challenges.” Geotechnique 63 (4): 287–301. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.SIP13.P.017.
DeJong, J. T., M. B. Fritzges, and K. Nusslein. 2006. “Microbially induced cementation to control sand response to undrained shear.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 132 (11): 1381–1392. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2006)132:11(1381).
DeJong, J. T., K. Soga, S. A. Banwart, W. R. Whalley, T. R. Ginn, D. C. Nelson, B. M. Mortensen, B. C. Martinez, and T. Barkouki. 2011. “Soil engineering in vivo: Harnessing natural biogeochemical systems for sustainable, multi-functional engineering solutions.” J. R. Soc. Interface 8 (54): 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2010.0270.
De Muynck, W., N. De Belie, and W. Verstraete. 2010. “Microbial carbonate precipitation in construction materials: A review.” Ecol. Eng. 36 (2): 118–136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2009.02.006.
Duraisamy, Y. 2016. “Strength and stiffness improvement of bio-cemented Sydney sand.” Ph.D. thesis, School of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Sydney.
Eigenbrod, K. D. 2003. “Self-healing in fractured fine-grained soils.” Can. Geotech. J. 40 (2): 435–449. https://doi.org/10.1139/t02-110.
Ferris, F. G., L. G. Stehmeier, A. Kantzas, and F. M. Mourits. 1996. “Bacteriogenic mineral plugging.” J. Can. Petrol. Technol. 35 (8): 56–61. https://doi.org/10.2118/96-08-06.
Fujita, Y., J. L. Taylor, L. M. Wendt, D. W. Reed, and R. W. Smith. 2010. “Evaluating the potential of native ureolytic microbes to remediate a Sr-90 contaminated environment.” Environ. Sci. Technol. 44 (19): 7652–7658. https://doi.org/10.1021/es101752p.
Gollapudi, U. K., C. L. Knutson, S. S. Bang, and M. R. Islam. 1995. “A new method for controlling leaching through permeable channels.” Chemosphere 30 (4): 695–705. https://doi.org/10.1016/0045-6535(94)00435-W.
Harbottle, M., M. T. Lam, S. P. Botusharova, and D. R. Gardner. 2014. “Self-healing soil: Biomimetic engineering of geotechnical structures to respond to damage.” In Proc., 7th Int. Congress on Environmental Geotechnics, edited by A. Bouazza, S. Yuen, and B. Brown, 1121–1128. Melbourne, Australia: Engineers Australia.
Ivanov, V., and J. Chu. 2008. “Applications of microorganisms to geotechnical engineering for bioclogging and biocementation of soil in situ.” Rev. Environ. Sci. Bio/Technol. 7 (2): 139–153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-007-9126-3.
Joseph, C., A. D. Jefferson, B. Isaacs, R. Lark, and D. Gardner. 2010. “Experimental investigation of adhesive-based self-healing of cementitious materials.” Mag. Concr. Res. 62 (11): 831–843. https://doi.org/10.1680/macr.2010.62.11.831.
Kanellopoulos, A., P. Giannaros, D. Palmer, A. Kerr, and A. Al-Tabbaa. 2017. “Polymeric microcapsules with switchable mechanical properties for self-healing concrete: Synthesis, characterisation and proof of concept.” Smart Mater. Struct. 26 (4): 045025. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-665X/aa516c.
Macdonald, R. E., and S. W. Macdonald. 1962. “Physiology and natural relationships of motile, sporeforming sarcinae.” Can. J. Microbiol. 8 (5): 795–808. https://doi.org/10.1139/m62-101.
Mitchell, A. C., K. Dideriksen, L. H. Spangler, A. B. Cunningham, and R. Gerlach. 2010. “Microbially enhanced carbon capture and storage by mineral-trapping and solubility-trapping.” Environ. Sci. Technol. 44 (13): 5270–5276. https://doi.org/10.1021/es903270w.
Montoya, B. M., and J. T. DeJong. 2013. “Healing of biologically induced cemented sands.” Geotech. Lett. 3 (3): 147–151. https://doi.org/10.1680/geolett.13.00044.
Mugwar, A. J., and M. J. Harbottle. 2016. “Toxicity effects on metal sequestration by microbially-induced carbonate precipitation.” J. Hazard. Mater. 314 (Aug): 237–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.04.039.
Mujah, D., M. A. Shahin, and L. Cheng. 2017. “State-of-the-art review of biocementation by microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) for soil stabilization.” Geomicrobiol. J. 34 (6): 524–537. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490451.2016.1225866.
Phillips, A. J., R. Gerlach, E. Lauchnor, A. C. Mitchell, A. B. Cunningham, and L. Spangler. 2013. “Engineered applications of ureolytic biomineralization: A review.” Biofouling 29 (6): 715–733. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927014.2013.796550.
Schaeffer, A. B., and M. D. Fulton. 1933. “A simplified method of staining endospores.” Science 77 (1990): 194. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.77.1990.194.
Setlow, B., and P. Setlow. 1993. “Binding of small, acid-soluble spore proteins to DNA plays a significant role in the resistance of bacillus-subtilis spores to hydrogen-peroxide.” Appl. Environ. Microb. 59 (10): 3418–3423.
Stabnikov, V., M. Naeimi, V. Ivanov, and J. Chu. 2011. “Formation of water-impermeable crust on sand surface using biocement.” Cem. Concr. Res. 41 (11): 1143–1149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2011.06.017.
van Paassen, L. A., R. Ghose, T. J. M. van der Linden, W. R. L. van der Star, and M. C. M. van Loosdrecht. 2010. “Quantifying biomediated ground improvement by ureolysis: Large-scale biogrout experiment.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 136 (12): 1721–1728. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000382.
Wang, J. Y., H. Soens, W. Verstraete, and N. De Belie. 2014. “Self-healing concrete by use of microencapsulated bacterial spores.” Cem. Concr. Res. 56 (Feb): 139–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2013.11.009.
Wang, J. Y., K. Van Tittelboom, N. De Belie, and W. Verstraete. 2012. “Use of silica gel or polyurethane immobilized bacteria for self-healing concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 26 (1): 532–540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2011.06.054.
Whiffin, V. S., L. A. van Paassen, and M. P. Harkes. 2007. “Microbial carbonate precipitation as a soil improvement technique.” Geomicrobiol. J. 24 (5): 417–423. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490450701436505.
Wiktor, V., and H. M. Jonkers. 2011. “Quantification of crack-healing in novel bacteria-based self-healing concrete.” Cem. Concr. Comp. 33 (7): 763–770. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2011.03.012.
Yoon, J. H., K. C. Lee, N. Weiss, Y. H. Kho, K. H. Kang, and Y. H. Park. 2001. “Sporosarcina aquimarina sp nov., a bacterium isolated from seawater in Korea, and transfer of Bacillus globisporus (Larkin and Stokes 1967), Bacillus psychrophilus (Nakamura 1984) and Bacillus pasteurii (Chester 1898) to the genus Sporosarcina as Sporosarcina globispora comb. nov., Sporosarcina psychrophila comb. nov and Sporosarcina pasteurii comb. nov., and emended description of the genus Sporosarcina.” Int. J. Syst. Evol. Micr. 51 (3): 1079–1086. https://doi.org/10.1099/00207713-51-3-1079.
Zhang, L., M. L. Higgins, and P. J. Piggot. 1997. “The division during bacterial sporulation is symmetrically located in Sporosarcina ureae.” Mol. Microbiol. 25 (6): 1091–1098. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2958.1997.5341892.x.
Zwaag, S. V. D., and A. J. M. Schmets. 2007. Self healing materials: An alternative approach to 20 centuries of materials science. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 23, 2018
Accepted: Oct 22, 2019
Published online: Feb 13, 2020
Published in print: Apr 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Jul 13, 2020
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.