Search

Calcite is one of the most common and wide spread mineral on Earth constituting 4 wt% of the Earth’s crust. It is naturally found in extensive sedimentary rock masses, as lime stone marble and calcareous sandstone in marine, fresh water and terrestrial environments. Calcium carbonate is one of the most well known mineral that bacteria deposit by the phenomenon called biocementation or microbiologically induced calcite precipitation (MICP). Such deposits have recently emerged as promising binders for protecting and consolidating various building materials. Microbially enhanced calcite precipitation on concrete or mortar has become an important area of research regarding construction materials. This study describes a method of strength and water absorption improvement of cement–sand mortar by the microbiologically induced calcium carbonate precipitation. A moderately alkalophilic aerobic Sporosarcina pasteurii was incorporated at different cell concentrations with the mixing water. The study showed that a 33% increase in 28 days compressive strength of cement mortar was achieved with the addition of about one optical density (1 OD) of bacterial cells with mixing water. The strength and water absorption improvement are due to the growth of calcite crystals within the pores of the cement–sand matrix as indicated from the microstructure obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination.

The microbes can hydrolyze urea by urease enzyme to produce ammonium as well as carbonate ions and in the presence of calcium ions which can precipitate calcium carbonate; this process is called “biocalcification” or microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP).This technology is environmentally friendly not only because it gives strength to sand body, but also it allows water to penetrate to sand body, which is unlike silicate cement that will destroy the ecosystem of the earth. Calcium carbonate precipitated by bacteria acts as a binding material to sand particles, so incompact sand will be consolidated. Calcium chloride, calcium acetate and calcium nitrate (1 M) as calcium sources were tested for their ability to consolidate sand by mixing with urea (1 M) and bacteria cells (one optical density, 1 OD). The key point of this study aimed to choose the suitable calcium source which produces higher compressive strength and lower water absorption. The results showed that the degree of crystallinity and amount of precipitated calcium carbonate, as well as the consequent increase in strength of consolidated sand, in case of calcium chloride medium are higher than those precipitated in case of calcium acetate as well as calcium nitrate media. In addition, consolidated sand by calcium chloride was also used for cement mortar crack remediation.