Projects per year
Abstract
Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) is a sustainable method of stabilizing (i.e., cementing) loose sandy deposits and/or to create an impervious barrier within the soil mass. MICP can occur through various biochemical pathways, among which ‘Urea Hydrolysis (UH)’ is considered to be the most efficient method of biochemically inducing calcite precipitation. To date, the geotechnical engineering community investigating MICP has tended to focus on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of the end product, i.e. MICP cemented sands; however, many biochemical factors that affect reaction-rate kinetics and MICP outcome have been understudied or neglected. This study investigated the kinetics of UH and compared different sources of urease enzyme: those microbially cultivated in the laboratory (i.e., Sporosarcina pasteurii) and those extracted from plants (i.e., Jack bean meal), to investigate the influence of urea concentration, buffer capacity, and cell harvesting method on UH. Through this study, an attempt has been made to arrive at an optimal concentration of urea, under the influence of the above mentioned parameters along with the buffering action of the soil, on urea hydrolysis. These results have implications towards optimising MICP and, in particular, for upscaling these methods to in-situ applications.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Journal of Testing and Evaluation |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 4 |
Early online date | 8 May 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 30 Jul 2018 |
Keywords
- soil stabilization
- ground improvement
- microbial activity
- ureolytic activity
- urea hydrolysis
- calcite precipitation
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Guidance for investigating calcite precipitation by urea hydrolysis for geomaterials'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
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GREAT: Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme
Tarantino, A., El Mountassir, G., Lunn, R., Pytharouli, S., Sentenac, P., Shipton, Z., Xu, Y. & Yang, S.
European Commission - FP7 - General
1/01/14 → 31/12/17
Project: Research
Research output
- 14 Citations
- 1 Conference contribution book
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Micro-continuum modelling of injection strategies for microbially induced carbonate precipitation
Minto, J. M., El Mountassir, G. & Lunn, R. J., 25 Jun 2019, E3S Web of Conferences: 7th International Symposium on Deformation Characteristics of Geomaterials (IS-Glasgow 2019) . Tarantino, A. & Ibraim, E. (eds.). [Bloomsbury]: EDP Sciences, Vol. 92. 5 p. 11019Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution book
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)15 Downloads (Pure)