Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP)

Bio-mediated and bio-inspired geotechnics can provide innovative and sustainable solutions to geotechnical engineering challenges.  Among these processes, Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) is the most widely researched.  MICP utilizes urea hydrolysis bacteria to create the environment needed to induce calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation that cements soil particles and improves soil shear strength and stiffness.  Most of the research on MICP has focused on investigating its effects on soil behavior at the lab-scale with very limited particle-scale (micro-scale) and field/large laboratory-scale tests.  Furthermore, challenges of upscaling MICP to practical applications are many, such as bio-clogging and byproduct management. 

 The goal of this research was to investigate the micro- and macro-scale behavior of MICP-treated soil and upscale the process using large-scale laboratory tests.  As part of this research, a multi-scale experimental framework combined with analytical models was proposed to investigate effects of MICP on soil behavior and soil-permeable pile interaction.  This research incorporated the first bio-mediated improvement of soil-permeable pile interaction,  which was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).  The results of large-scale tests showed that the axial capacities of permeable piles (pervious concrete piles) were increased by 3 times when enhanced using MICP.  The test results demonstrated a promising potential for field-scale foundation enhancement using MICP.

Publications

(*corresponding author, underlined: supervised students)

1. Lin, H.*, Dong, Y., Park, J. S., and Montoya, B. (2023). “Cementation stress characteristic curve for sands treated by microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP).” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 149(12), https://doi.org/10.1061/JGGEFK.GTENG-11403.

2. Gao, K., Lin, H., Suleiman, M.*, Bick, P., Babuska, T., Li, X., Helm, J., Brown, D., and Zouari, N. (2022). “Shear and tensile strength measurements of CaCO3 cemented bonds between glass beads treated by microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP).” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, doiI: 10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002927.

3. Cheng, G., Lin, H.*, Chaichi, A., Gartia, M. R., Park. J. S., and Sheikh, E. (2022). “Mechanical behavior and biogeochemical reactions of a fine-grained soil treated by microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP).” Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0004687.

4. Xiao, Y.*, Stuedlein, A., He, X., Han, F., Evans, M., Pan, Z., Lin, H., Chu, J., and van Paassen, L. (2021). “Lateral responses of a model pile in biocemented sand.” International Journal of Geomechanics, 21(11), doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0002179.

5. Lin, H.*, O’Donnell, S., Suleiman, M., Kavazanjian, E., Jr., and Brown, D. (2021). “Effects of Enzyme and Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation Treatments on the Response of Axially Loaded Pervious Concrete Piles.” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002565.

6. Xiao, Y.*, Stuedlein, A., Pan, Z., Liu, H., Evans, M., He, X., Lin, H., Chu, J., and van Paassen, L. (2020). “Toe Bearing Capacity of Precast Concrete Piles through Biogrouting Improvement.” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002404.

7. Lin, H.*, Suleiman, M., and Brown, D. (2020). “Investigation of Pore-Scale CaCO3 Distributions and their effects on Stiffness and Permeability of Sands Treated by Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP).” Soils and Foundations, 60(4), 944-961, doi: 10.1016/j.sandf.2020.07.003.

8. Xiao, Y.*, Chen, H., Stuedlein, A., Evans, M., Chu, J., Cheng, L., Jiang, N., Lin, H., and Liu, H. (2020). “Restraint of particle breakage by biotreatment method.” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 146(1), doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002384.

9. Lin, H., Suleiman, M., Jabbour, H., and Brown, D. (2017). “Enhancing the axial pull-out response of pervious concrete ground improvement piles using bio-grouting.” Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 55(1), 119-130, doi: 10.1139/cgj-2016-0438.

10. Lin, H., Suleiman, M., Jabbour, H., Brown, D., and Kavazanjian, E., Jr. (2016). “Enhancing the axial compression response of pervious concrete ground improvement piles using bio-grouting.” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 142(10), doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001515.

11. Lin, H., Suleiman, M., Brown, D., and Kavazanjian, E., Jr. (2016). “Mechanical behavior of sands treated by microbially induced carbonate precipitation.” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 142(2), doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001383.

Particle-Scale Tests

Benchtop-Scale Tests

Large-Scale Tests