01628162

Component

https://doi.org/10.3141/2657-02

Erosion is relevant to a variety of infrastructure problems such as bridge scour, roadway shoulder erosion, coastal erosion, and riverbank and slope stability. This research investigated the feasibility of using microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) as an erosion countermeasure. MICP is a natural phenomenon in which calcite precipitation occurs as a consequence of microbial metabolic activity. The precipitated calcite modifies the soil fabric and provides an additional bonding force between soil particles. In this paper, a preliminary experimental study on the erosional behavior of MICP-treated sand is presented. A standard soil, Ottawa graded sand, was treated with a bacterium (Sporosarcina pasteurii) in a full-contact reactor—one in which the soil in a fabric mold was fully immersed in the bacteria and cementation solution. The morphologies and crystalline structures of the precipitated calcite in porous sediments were characterized using microscopic imaging techniques. The treated soil samples were tested in a flume to investigate the erosional behavior; both surface erosion and bridge scour tests were conducted. Although the untreated soil is highly erodible, the erosion of the treated sand was found to be negligible under the circumstances of the test; however, some concerns were raised regarding practical applications. Efforts will be made in the future to identify alternative treatment procedures that are more applicable to the field.

01628039

17-05564

English

pp 10–18

2017

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

9780309441971

Digital/other

Figures (10) ; Photos; References (24) ; Tables (1)

Calcites; Erosion; Erosion control; Feasibility analysis; Granular soils; Image analysis; Scour; Soil stabilization

Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Pavements

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Dec 8 2016 12:13PM

• Assessment of Guar Gum Biopolymer Treatment Toward Mitigation of Desiccation Cracking on Slopes Built with Expansive Soils
• Comparative Testing Between Electrical Impedance and Hybrid Nuclear Devices for Measuring Moisture and Density in Soils
• Development and Application of Sustainability Models for Unsealed Road Pavements
• Impact of Geospatial Classification Method on Interpretation of Intelligent Compaction Data
• Long-Term Durability Studies on Chemically Treated Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Material as a Base Layer for Pavements
• Model for the Erosion Rate Curve of Cohesive Soils
• Performance Evaluation for Polymer-Stabilized Soils
• Potential Applicability of Impact Echo Method on Pavement Base Materials as a Nondestructive Testing Technique
• Quantification of Reduction in Hydraulic Conductivity and Skid Resistance Caused by Fog Seal in Low-Volume Roads
• Use of Semicircular Bending Test and Cohesive Zone Modeling to Evaluate Fracture Resistance of Stabilized Soils