Evolution of Porosity–Permeability Relationships in Bio-Mediated Processes for Ground Improvement: A Pore-Scale Computational Study
Publication: Geo-Congress 2022
ABSTRACT
Bio-mediated techniques are among biogeochemical processes in subsurface that have been introduced as alternatives to conventional methods for soil improvement. These processes can alter hydraulic properties of the subsurface through a complex veriety of coupled processes including the interaction of biomineral–biogas–biofilm with the solid matrix and pore structure of the soil. A clear understanding of these obscure interactions is critical to study the impact of bio-geochemical processes on the hydrology and predict reactive transport phenomena within the treatment zones. In this study, a 3D pore network model is extracted by CT imaging from a sandy soil sample. Various scenarios resembling different biogeochemical products and contents are numerically assigned into the networks. Simulations including evolution of pore-scale characteristics and Representative Elementary Volume (REV) scale porosity–permeability relationships are investigated. The results show that the hydraulic properties of bio-treated soils are dramatically affected by the spatial distribution, heterogeneity, and pore-habit of the products of bio-mediated processes.
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Geo-Congress 2022
Pages: 638 - 647
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Published online: Mar 17, 2022
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