Biological Solutions for the Remediation of Cracks in Ancient Earthen Structures: Experimental Studies
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34, Issue 11
Abstract
The aim of this research is to investigate two biological solutions, namely, soybean urease induced calcite precipitation (SICP) and xanthan gum (XG) biopolymer, for the remediation of cracks in ancient earthen structures. In this study, soil crack patterns captured by a high-resolution camera are quantified using image processing software. Optical microscopy and wind erosion tests were utilized to analyze the surface cementation effect in the repaired earth samples. Experimental results show that repaired samples treated with SICP solution (a mixture of soybean urease and urea-calcium chloride solutions), XG solution, and SICP-XG solutions (a mixture of SICP and xanthan gum solutions) can significantly decrease the surface crack ratio, and both the total length and the average width of the cracks, especially for the sample treated by the SICP-XG solution. In the wind erosion test, the repaired cracks in these three earthen samples remain stable under wind speeds of . In addition, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction tests confirmed the cementation effect induced by crystals and xanthan gum.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51878593). Special thanks are also extended to Associate Professor Chun Liu from Nanjing University for providing the image processing software Particles (Pores) and Cracks Analysis System version 2.3 (PCAS version 2.3).
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34 • Issue 11 • November 2022
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© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 6, 2021
Accepted: Mar 1, 2022
Published online: Aug 30, 2022
Published in print: Nov 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Jan 30, 2023
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