Applicability of Enzymatic Calcium Carbonate Precipitation as a Soil-Strengthening Technique
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 12
Abstract
A grouting technique for enzymatic calcite precipitation is evaluated. Urea and calcium salt, at various concentrations, are mixed with a concentration-fixed enzyme to obtain the optimal precipitation of . The optimally combined solution is injected into sand samples in small PVC cylinders. Then, the improvement in small-scale samples is observed. The combination, approved for small-scale tests, is further used for larger-scale tests. The porosity distribution within the soil is evaluated by sampling the treated sand at different locations. A precipitation ratio up to 80% can be obtained using a small amount of the enzyme. The results show that the in situ enzymatic precipitation technique may be feasible for use in larger-scale applications. A multiphysics simulator that considers the calcite precipitation reaction during the transport of the solution is adopted to predict the evolution of the porosity. The predicted porosities are compared with the measured porosities. The results show that the numerical predictions can replicate the actual changes in porosity relatively well and that the numerical model should be helpful in assuming these changes caused by the precipitated induced by the grouting technique examined in this work.
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Acknowledgments
This research was partly supported by research grants from Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program (A-STEP) (AS232Z00996D), and Grant for Environmental Research Projects, The Sumimoto Foundation (No. 113029). The authors gratefully acknowledged this support. The authors thank Mr. Kado, Mr. Horiuchi, and Ms. Miyamoto for help with the experimental work. The conclusions reported herein are those of the authors.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139 • Issue 12 • December 2013
Pages: 2201 - 2211
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 11, 2012
Accepted: Apr 30, 2013
Published online: May 2, 2013
Published in print: Dec 1, 2013
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