Geomechanics and Engineering

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Stabilization of cement-soil utilizing microbially induced carbonate precipitation

  • Shuang Li (College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University) ;
  • Ming Huang (College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University) ;
  • Mingjuan Cui (College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University) ;
  • Peng Lin (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Shantou University) ;
  • Liudi Xu (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Shantou University) ;
  • Kai Xu (College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University)
  • Received : 2022.12.01
  • Accepted : 2023.09.11
  • Published : 2023.10.10
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Abstract

Soft soil ground is a crucial factor limiting the development of the construction of transportation infrastructure in coastal areas. Soft soil is characterized by low strength, low permeability and high compressibility. However, the ordinary treatment method uses Portland cement to solidify the soft soil, which has low early strength and requires a long curing time. Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is an emerging method to address geo-environmental problems associated with geotechnical materials. In this study, a method of bio-cementitious mortars consisting of MICP and cement was proposed to stabilize the soft soil. A series of laboratory tests were conducted on MICP-treated and cement-MICP-treated (C-MICP-treated) soft soils to improve mechanical properties. Microscale observations were also undertaken to reveal the underlying mechanism of cement-soil treated by MICP. The results showed that cohesion and internal friction angles of MICP-treated soft soil were greater than those of remolded soft soil. The UCS, elastic modulus and toughness of C-MICP-treated soft soil with high moisture content (50%, 60%, 70%, 80%) were improved compared to traditional cement-soil. A remarkable difference was observed that the MICP process mainly played a role in the early curing stage (i.e., within 14 days) while cement hydration continued during the whole process. Micro-characterization revealed that the calcium carbonate filling the pores enhanced the soft soil.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant nos. 41972276, 52108307, 52378392), "Foal Eagle Program" Youth Top-notch Talent Project of Fujian Province (Grant no. 00387088), Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province (Grant no. 2020J06013), and Qishan Scholar Project of Fuzhou University (Grant no. XRC22015, GXRC21047).

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