Geo-Congress 2020
Investigating the Effect of Microbial Activity and Chemical Concentrations on the Mineralogy and Morphology of Ureolytic Bio-Cementation
Publication: Geo-Congress 2020: Biogeotechnics (GSP 320)
ABSTRACT
Numerous laboratory studies in the past decade have demonstrated the ability of microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP), a bio-mediated soil improvement method, to favorably transform a soil’s engineering properties including increased shear strength and stiffness with reductions in hydraulic conductivity and porosity. Despite significant advances in treatment application techniques and characterization of post-treatment engineering properties, relationships between biogeochemical conditions during precipitation and post-treatment material properties have remained poorly understood. Bacterial augmentation, stimulation, and cementation treatments can vary dramatically in their chemical constituents, concentrations, and ratios between researchers, with specific formulas oftentimes perpetuating despite limited understanding of their engineering implications. In this study, small-scale batch experiments were used to systematically investigate how biogeochemical conditions during precipitate synthesis may influence resulting bio-cementation and related material engineering behaviors. Aqueous solution chemistry was monitored in time to better understand the relationship between the kinetics of ureolysis and calcium carbonate precipitation, and resulting precipitates. Following all experiments, precipitates were evaluated using x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy to characterize mineralogy and morphology. Results obtained from these investigations are expected to help identify the primary chemical and biological factors during synthesis that may control bio-cementation material properties and influence engineering performance aspects including long-term resilience.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Funding for this research work was provided by the National Science Foundation (ECI-1824647) and is greatly appreciated. Research collaboration made possible through the Engineering Research Center Program of the National Science Foundation under NSF Cooperative Agreement No. EEC-1449501 is also acknowledged. Part of this work was conducted at the Molecular Analysis Facility, a National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure site at the University of Washington which is supported in part by the National Science Foundation (grant NNCI-1542101), the University of Washington, the Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, and the Clean Energy Institute. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Geo-Congress 2020: Biogeotechnics (GSP 320)
Pages: 83 - 95
Editors: Edward Kavazanjian Jr., Ph.D., Arizona State University, James P. Hambleton, Ph.D., Northwestern University, Roman Makhnenko, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Aaron S. Budge, Ph.D., Minnesota State University, Mankato
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8283-4
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Feb 21, 2020
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Chemical properties
- Chemistry
- Climates
- Engineering fundamentals
- Environmental engineering
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Laboratory tests
- Material mechanics
- Material properties
- Materials engineering
- Meteorology
- Microbes
- Organisms
- Precipitation
- Soil dynamics
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil stabilization
- Soil strength
- Tests (by type)
Authors
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