Wind Erosion Mitigation Using Microbial-Induced Carbonate Precipitation
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 149, Issue 8
Abstract
The wind erosion resistance of the microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP)-treated soil was investigated in this study using wind tunnel experiments. A wind tunnel was calibrated to simulate the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). The erosion modes of the soil samples with increasing and cyclic wind loading were analyzed using digital imaging techniques. The calcium carbonate content and its uniformity in treated soils were determined using an atomic absorption spectrometer. The effect of soil relative density, soil type, MICP treatment protocol, and wind loads on wind erosion mitigation was evaluated. Based on the testing conditions, a MICP treatment protocol using 0.25 pore volume of bacteria medium (Sporosarcina pasteurii, ATCC 11859) followed by 0.25 pore volume of 0.3 M cementation medium was determined as the optimal treatment for increasing wind load resistance. A calcium content of 0.28% for the soil surface layer was the minimum calcium carbonate content necessary to mitigate wind erosion for the increasing wind loading condition. For the cyclic wind loading condition, a MICP treatment protocol to achieve a minimum calcium carbonate content of 0.68% was determined as the optimum treatment protocol.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The work described in this paper was part of a research program on Sustainable Bio-modification of Surface Soils to Resist Erosion due to Wind Loading funded by Qatar National Research Fund (a member of the Qatar Foundation) (Project No. NPRP 8-1929-2-766). This support is gratefully acknowledged.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 149 • Issue 8 • August 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 28, 2022
Accepted: Feb 27, 2023
Published online: May 19, 2023
Published in print: Aug 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Oct 19, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- [Inorganic compounds]
- Business management
- Calcium carbonate
- Chemicals
- Chemistry
- Continuum mechanics
- Dynamic loads
- Dynamics (solid mechanics)
- Engineering mechanics
- Environmental engineering
- Erosion
- Geology
- Geotechnical engineering
- Microbes
- Mitigation and remediation
- Organic compounds
- Organisms
- Pollution
- Practice and Profession
- Soil pollution
- Soil treatment
- Solid mechanics
- Structural dynamics
- Structural engineering
- Wind engineering
- Wind loads
- Wind tunnel
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