Undrained Monotonic Shear Response of MICP-Treated Silty Sands
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 6
Abstract
The effect of nonplastic fines on the undrained shear response of sand depends on many variables, including fines content, skeleton void ratio (), interfine void ratio (), global void ratio (e), confining pressure, and relative density. This paper focuses on applying microbe-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) to silty sands containing fines up to 35% to assess its effect on the undrained shear response. Sporocarcina pasteurii, an alkalophilic soil bacterium was used to catalyze the chemical reaction and induce calcium carbonate precipitation. Shear-wave velocity () measurements are used to assess improvement, with a target of approximately . Undrained monotonic direct simple shear loading was used to compare the undrained shear response of untreated and MICP-treated specimens with similar preshear void ratios of . Decreased excess pore water pressure and flow behavior and increased undrained shear strength were the observed general changes due to MICP. The results presented here indicate that the effect of MICP on silty sands depends on relative density, fines content, and the fabric governing the structure of the soil.
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Acknowledgments
Funding from the National Science Foundation (CMMI #1554056, #1537007, and EEC #1342207) is appreciated. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. This work was performed in part at the Analytical Instrumentation Facility (AIF) at North Carolina State University, which is supported by the State of North Carolina and the National Science Foundation (ECCS #1542015). The AIF is a member of the North Carolina Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network (RTNN), a site in the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI).
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144 • Issue 6 • June 2018
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©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jan 18, 2017
Accepted: Oct 12, 2017
Published online: Mar 29, 2018
Published in print: Jun 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Aug 29, 2018
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