Bio-stabilization of Sand by Surface Percolation

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Department of Civil Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran

Abstract

Most traditional soil improvement methods are time consuming, expensive, require heavy machinery and are environmentally detrimental. As a more environmentally favorable ground improvement method, the bio-cementation of soil offers an alternative to traditional soil improvement techniques. This method is based on microbial precipitation of calcium carbonate. The role of bacteria is producing urease enzyme to catalyzing the hydrolysis of urea. In the presence of calcium ions, the produced carbonate ions in hydrolysis of urea react with the calcium ions and calcium carbonate sediment is formed. This paper investigates the applicability of the bio-remediation of dry loose sand by surface percolation. To evaluate the success of treatment, a series of laboratory experiments was conducted, including, shear wave velocity, unconfined compressive strength, Brazilian tensile strength, calcium carbonate content and etc. The study revealed that the bio-remediation technique causes the improvement of soil strength as a result of the cementation of sand particles. Furthermore, the surface percolation method has the potential of cementation and stabilization of loose sand with desirable depth. Increase in soil strength and calcium carbonate content decreases with increase of depth. Results also showed that increase of strength due to bio-improvement depends to calcium carbonate content, its spatial distribution in pores and particle-to-particle binding numbers.

Keywords

Main Subjects


[1] J.T. DeJong, B.M. Mortensen, B.C. Martinez, D.C. Nelson, Bio-mediated soil improvement, Ecological Engineering, 36(2) (2010) 197-210.
[2] N.W. Soon, L.M. Lee, T.C. Khun, H.S. Ling, Factors affecting improvement in engineering properties of residual soil through microbial-induced calcite precipitation, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 140(5) (2014) 04014006.
[3] R.H. Karol, Chemical grouting and soil stabilization, revised and expanded, Crc Press, 2003.
[4] J.T. DeJong, M.B. Fritzges, K. Nüsslein, Microbially induced cementation to control sand response to undrained shear, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 132(11) (2006) 1381-1392.
[5] V.S. Whiffin, L.A. van Paassen, M.P. Harkes, Microbial carbonate precipitation as a soil improvement technique, Geomicrobiology Journal, 24(5) (2007) 417-423.
[6] L.A. van Paassen, R. Ghose, T.J. van der Linden, W.R. van der Star, M.C. van Loosdrecht, Quantifying biomediated ground improvement by ureolysis: large-scale biogrout experiment, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 136(12) (2010) 1721-1728.
[7] V. Ivanov, J. Chu, Applications of microorganisms to geotechnical engineering for bioclogging and biocementation of soil in situ, Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology, 7(2) (2008) 139-153.
[8] Y. Inagaki, M. Tsukamoto, H. Mori, S. Nakajiman, T. Sasaki, S. Kawasaki, A centrifugal model test of microbial carbonate precipitation as liquefaction countermeasure, Jiban Kogaku Janaru, 6(2) (2011) 157-167.
[9] B. Montoya, J. DeJong, R. Boulanger, Dynamic response of liquefiable sand improved by microbial-induced calcite precipitation, Géotechnique, 63(4) (2013) 302.
[10] S.C. Bang, S.S. Bang, KGS Awards Lectures: application of microbiologically induced soil stabilization technique for dust suppression, International Journal of Geo-Engineering, 3(2) (2011) 27-37.
[11] S.K. Ramachandran, V. Ramakrishnan, S.S. Bang, Remediation of concrete using micro-organisms, ACI Materials Journal-American Concrete Institute, 98(1) (2001) 3-9.
[12] S. Bang, J. Lippert, U. Yerra, S. Mulukutla, V. Ramakrishnan, Microbial calcite, a bio-based smart nanomaterial in concrete remediation, International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials, 1(1) (2010) 28-39.
[13] V. Achal, X. Pan, N. Özyurt, Improved strength and durability of fly ash-amended concrete by microbial calcite precipitation, Ecological Engineering, 37(4) (2011) 554-559.
[14] W. De Muynck, D. Debrouwer, N. De Belie, W. Verstraete, Bacterial carbonate precipitation improves the durability of cementitious materials, Cement and concrete Research, 38(7) (2008) 1005-1014.
[15] P. Suer, N. Hallberg, C. Carlsson, D. Bendz, G. Holm, Biogrouting compared to jet grouting: environmental (LCA) and economical assessment, Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A, 44(4) (2009) 346-353.
[16] S. Stocks-Fischer, J.K. Galinat, S.S. Bang, Microbiological precipitation of CaCO 3, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 31(11) (1999) 1563-1571.
[17] L. Cheng, R. Cord-Ruwisch, M.A. Shahin, Cementation of sand soil by microbially induced calcite precipitation at various degrees of saturation, Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 50(1) (2013) 81-90.
[18] L. Van Paassen, M. Harkes, G. Van Zwieten, W. Van der Zon, W. Van der Star, M. Van Loosdrecht, Scale up of BioGrout: a biological ground reinforcement method, in: Proceedings of the 17th international conference on soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering, Lansdale IOS Press, 2009, pp. 2328-2333.
[19] J.K. Mitchell, J.C. Santamarina, Biological considerations in geotechnical engineering, Journal of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, 131(10) (2005) 1222-1233.
[20] T. Zhu, M. Dittrich, Carbonate precipitation through microbial activities in natural environment, and their potential in biotechnology: a review, Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology, 4 (2016).
[21] B. Mortensen, M. Haber, J. DeJong, L. Caslake, D. Nelson, Effects of environmental factors on microbial induced calcium carbonate precipitation, Journal of applied microbiology, 111(2) (2011) 338-349.
[22] M. Ismail, H. Joer, M. Randolph, A. Meritt, Cementation of porous materials using calcite, Geotechnique, 52(5) (2002) 313-324.
[23] V.S. Whiffin, Microbial CaCO3 precipitation for the production of biocement, Murdoch University, 2004.
[24] M.P. Harkes, L.A. Van Paassen, J.L. Booster, V.S. Whiffin, M.C. van Loosdrecht, Fixation and distribution of bacterial activity in sand to induce carbonate precipitation for ground reinforcement, Ecological Engineering, 36(2) (2010) 112-117.
[25] V. Stabnikov, C. Jian, V. Ivanov, Y. Li, Halotolerant, alkaliphilic urease-producing bacteria from different climate zones and their application for biocementation of sand, World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 29(8) (2013) 1453-1460.
[26] N. Turk, W. Dearman, A correction equation on the influence of length-to diameter ratio on the uniaxial compressive strength of rocks, Engineering geology, 22(3) (1986) 293-300.
[27] Y. Duraisamy, Strength And Stiffness Improvement Of Bio-Cemented Sydney Sand, (2016).
[28] B. Montoya, J. DeJong, Stress-strain behavior of sands cemented by microbially induced calcite precipitation, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 141(6) (2015) 04015019.
[29] A.A. Qabany, B. Mortensen, B. Martinez, K. Soga, J. DeJong, Microbial carbonate precipitation: correlation of S-wave velocity with calcite precipitation, in: Geo-Frontiers 2011: Advances in Geotechnical Engineering, 2011, pp. 3993-4001.
[30] T. Barkouki, B. Martinez, B. Mortensen, T. Weathers, J. De Jong, T. Ginn, N. Spycher, R. Smith, Y. Fujita, Forward and inverse bio-geochemical modeling of microbially induced calcite precipitation in half-meter column experiments, Transport in Porous Media, 90(1) (2011) 23-39.
[31] L.A. van Paassen, M. van Loosdrecht, M. Pieron, A. Mulder, D. Ngan-Tillard, T. Van der Linden, Strength and deformation of biologically cemented sandstone, in: ISRM Regional Symposium-EUROCK 2009, International Society for Rock Mechanics, 2009.
[32] L. Cheng, M. Shahin, R. Cord-Ruwisch, M. Addis, T. Hartanto, C. Elms, Soil stabilisation by Microbial-Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP): Investigation into some physical and environmental aspects, in: 7th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics: iceg2014, Engineers Australia, 2014, pp. 1105.
[33] S.M. Al-Thawadi, Consolidation of sand particles by aggregates of calcite nanoparticles synthesized by ureolytic bacteria under non-sterile conditions, J Chem Sci Technol, 2(3) (2013) 141-146.
[34] E. Boquet, A. Boronat, A. Ramos-Cormenzana, Production of calcite (calcium carbonate) crystals by soil bacteria is a general phenomenon, Nature, 246(5434) (1973) 527-529.
[35] H. Yasuhara, D. Neupane, K. Hayashi, M. Okamura, Experiments and predictions of physical properties of sand cemented by enzymatically-induced carbonate precipitation, Soils and Foundations, 52(3) (2012) 539-549.
[36] T.R. Ginn, B.D. Wood, K.E. Nelson, T.D. Scheibe, E.M. Murphy, T.P. Clement, Processes in microbial transport in the natural subsurface, Advances in Water Resources, 25(8) (2002) 1017-1042.