Bacterial activity and cementation pattern in biostimulated MICP-treated sand-bentonite mixtures

Bibliographic Details
Title: Bacterial activity and cementation pattern in biostimulated MICP-treated sand-bentonite mixtures
Authors: Yu Zhang, Xiangrui Xu, Shiqi Liu, Yijie Wang, Juan Du, Ningjun Jiang
Source: Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Vol 16, Iss 12, Pp 5121-5134 (2024)
Publisher Information: Elsevier, 2024.
Publication Year: 2024
Collection: LCC:Engineering geology. Rock mechanics. Soil mechanics. Underground construction
Subject Terms: Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), Biostimulation, Sand-clay mixtures, Bacterial activity, Cementation pattern, Engineering geology. Rock mechanics. Soil mechanics. Underground construction, TA703-712
More Details: The application of microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) in clayey soils has attracted much attention, and many studies used clay as an additive to enhance microbial mineralization efficiency in sandy soils. Within the sand-clay-bacteria-calcite system, the property and content of clay play crucial roles in affecting bacterial growth and calcite formation. More important, bentonite is particularly sensitive to changes in the geochemical environment. In this study, the sand-bentonite mixtures were treated by biostimulated MICP, aiming to provide insights into the behavior of this system. The bacterial activity and cementation pattern at different bentonite contents were evaluated through a series of tests such as enrichment tests, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests, cementation content measurements, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analyses. The findings showed that the bentonite presence promoted the enrichment of indigenous ureolytic bacteria, with lower bentonite levels enhancing ureolytic activity. Macroscopic and microscopic characterization indicated that the bentonite-coating sand structure was more conducive to the formation of large-sized calcite crystals capable of cementing soil particles compared to sand-supported and bentonite-supported structures. Additionally, excessive calcium ions (Ca2+) concentrations in the cementitious solution would lead to predominant calcite deposition on soil particle surfaces, contributing minimally to strength improvement.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1674-7755
Relation: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S167477552400307X; https://doaj.org/toc/1674-7755
DOI: 10.1016/j.jrmge.2024.07.005
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/5b9dfc119ec548afbb1ef61c48d15c2b
Accession Number: edsdoj.5b9dfc119ec548afbb1ef61c48d15c2b
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:16747755
DOI:10.1016/j.jrmge.2024.07.005
Published in:Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
Language:English