Enhancing Soil Strength at Targeted Calcite Content via Optimizing Chemical Application Parameters Using Taguchi Method for Biocementation
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 148, Issue 6
Abstract
Soil strength improvement employing microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP) involves bio-geo-chemical interaction among bacteria (here, Sporosarcina pasteurii), sand, and cementing solution. A critical review of literature opened the gap in exploring the strength gain for a given amount of precipitation, investigating the influence of chemical concentration and its application methodology. Thereby, the current study aims to independently maximize the calcite precipitation efficiency and unconfined compressive strength while targeting the calcite deposition of 10%–12%. In the present study, the Taguchi method of experimental design followed by analysis of variance and analysis of mean was adopted to optimize the outcome parameters. Results depicted the extreme variation in obtained strength in a small range of calcite deposition. Further, the microscopic investigation employing micrographs and elemental mapping reveals a higher impact of depositional characteristics than its amount on strength gain. The current study envisages the importance of chemical application parameters to improve efficiency and economy while reducing soil contamination due to non-reacting chemicals.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Bio-X center and Advanced Material Research Centre (AMRC) of IIT Mandi, for providing microbiological and other testing facilities.
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Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 148 • Issue 6 • June 2022
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© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 23, 2020
Accepted: Feb 1, 2022
Published online: Mar 22, 2022
Published in print: Jun 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Aug 22, 2022
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