Abstract
Three different batches of “standard” Ottawa 20-30 sand were biocemented using enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP). The specimens from each batch were treated using the same biocementation procedure. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the treated specimens varied from 0.22 to 1.6 MPa depending on the batch of sand used to prepare the specimens. These results show that sand of the same predominant mineral composition (e.g., silica), of the same grain size distribution, and from the same geological formation but from different quarries within the formation do not necessarily respond in the same manner to biocementation. Hence, standard sands for mechanical geotechnical testing should not be considered a priori to be a standard sand for biogeotechnical testing.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The material in this research study is based on work primarily supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under NSF Cooperative Agreement No. EEC-1449501. The authors are grateful for the NSF support. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NSF. The authors also acknowledge the use of facilities within the Eyring Materials Center (EMC) at Arizona State University. The EMC is supported in part by NSF Cooperative Agreement No. ECCS-1542160.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 4 • April 2021
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 28, 2020
Accepted: Oct 30, 2020
Published online: Jan 20, 2021
Published in print: Apr 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jun 20, 2021
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