Improving sand with microbial-induced carbonate precipitation

Abstract

Microbial-induced carbonate precipitation using urea hydrolysis is a relatively new improvement technique for granular soils. An important factor in achieving uniform calcite deposition (and hence consistent improvements in geomechanical properties) throughout the treated soil mass is the protocol adopted for injecting the reagents of ureolytic bacteria, urea and calcium. This paper reports a laboratory study investigating a technique to treat two loose medium quartz sands using different injection strategies. Staged injection including retention periods, and with a pressure head applied during injection of the bacterial cell solution, proved most effective. Sand specimens were treated using different concentrations of bacterial cell and urea–calcium chloride solutions and for a single injection cycle. Measured strength and stiffness values from unconfined compression tests ranged from 50 to 240 kPa and from 6 to 56 MPa, respectively. Permeability coefficient values were reduced by up to approximately one order of magnitude. Hence, a single injection cycle adhering to the proposed treatment method did not significantly affect the drainage capacity of the sand media. Greater improvements in stiffness and strength were achieved for lower bacterial cell and higher cementation solution concentrations, with a higher molarity of urea (non-equimolar solutions) proving even more effective. These findings were confirmed by scanning electron microscope observations.