Strength and Mechanism of Granite Residual Soil Strengthened by Microbial-Induced Calcite Precipitation Technology

Abstract

High rainfall environmental conditions can easily cause erosion or collapse of the granite residual soil slope. However, traditional slope reinforcement methods have drawbacks such as poor landscape effect, high energy consumption of raw materials, and environmental pollution. This study studied the application of microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) in the reinforcement of granite residual soil. The consolidation effect of various methods was investigated, and the influence of cementing liquid concentration and pH value on consolidation under optimal curing conditions was explored. The results showed that the bacteria concentration reached OD600 = 3.0 and urease activity was 31.64 mM/min, which positively impact the production of calcium carbonate and the stability of crystal morphology. In addition, the soaking method was found to have the most effective consolidation effect on the surface soil samples, with the lowest disintegration rate. On the other hand, the peristaltic pump grouting method is the most effective in strengthening depth. This method resulted in a 513.65% increase in unconfined compressive strength (UCS), a 297.98% increase in cohesion, and a 101.75% increase in internal friction angle. This study also found that after seven rounds of grouting, the highest UCS was achieved in consolidated soil samples with a 0.5 mol/L cementing solution concentration, reaching 1.602 MPa. The UCS of soil samples increases as the pH value of the cementing fluid increases within the range of 6–8. As the pH value reaches 8–9, the strength increases and stabilizes gradually. These research findings can serve as an experimental basis for strengthening granite residual soil slopes and a guide for improving microbial geotechnical strengthening methods.