Technical Notes
Jun 21, 2019

Splitting Tensile Strength of Fiber-Reinforced and Biocemented Sand

Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 31, Issue 9

Abstract

This technical note examines the splitting tensile strength properties of natural sand treated with polyvinyl acetate (PVA) fiber in combination with biocementation using the microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) process. Ottawa 20-30 sand was mixed with PVA fiber at five different fiber ratios (0.0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, and 0.8% by weight) and then stabilized using urease-producing bacteria plus urea and calcium chloride (CaCl2) solutions. Splitting tensile strength was determined for the treated sand samples. The results showed that the splitting tensile strength and splitting secant elastic modulus increased with increasing in either calcium carbonate content or fiber ratio. The use of PVA fibers together with MICP treatment could also increase the failure strain and the postfailure splitting tensile strength.

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Acknowledgments

This study forms part of a collaboration between Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and Iowa State University. We would like to acknowledge that part of this study is supported by the project “Biogrouting for Underground Construction (Grant No. SUL2013-1)” from the Ministry of National Development Research Fund on Sustainable Urban Living, Singapore.

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Go to Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 31Issue 9September 2019

History

Received: Oct 4, 2018
Accepted: Mar 28, 2019
Published online: Jun 21, 2019
Published in print: Sep 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Nov 21, 2019

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Authors

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Sun-Gyu Choi, Ph.D.
Senior Researcher, Disaster Prevention Research Division, National Disaster Management Research Institute, Ulsan 44538, Republic of Korea.
Tung Hoang
Lecture, Faculty of Bridge and Road Construction Engineering Univ. of Danang–Univ. of Science and Technology, Danang 550000, Vietnam.
E. James Alleman, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA 50014.
Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological Univ., Blk N1, 50 Nanyang Ave., Singapore 639798 (corresponding author). ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1404-1834. Email: [email protected]

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