Abstract
Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) involves bacteria to drive calcite precipitation and naturally cement soils, thereby improving soils performance. Experimental studies have shown that bio-cemented specimen can suffer from severe spatial inhomogeneity of the calcite content, leading to large uncertainty in treatment efficiency prediction. To evaluate the effect of inhomogeneity on the mechanical behaviour of bio-cemented soils, the discrete element method (DEM) is used to model bio-cemented samples with a single carbonate distribution pattern (i.e. either bridging or contact cementing) but different characteristics of inhomogeneity. Both drained triaxial compression and triaxial extension simulations are carried out to evaluate the impact of inhomogeneity along different loading paths. The results indicate that inhomogeneity has different effects on bio-cemented samples depending on the carbonate distribution patterns and the loading path. Specifically, the shear strength in compression of samples exhibiting bridging cementation is largely affected by inhomogeneity, while the effect on shear strength in extension is negligible. On the other hand, samples with contact cementing show limited sensitivity to the variation of inhomogeneity under both triaxial compression and triaxial extension tests.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Challenges and Innovations in Geomechanics |
Subtitle of host publication | Proceedings of the 16th International Conference of IACMAG |
Editors | Marco Barla, Alessandra Insana, Alice Di Donna, Donatella Sterpi |
Publisher | Springer |
Pages | 554-561 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Volume | 3 |
ISBN (Print) | 9783031128509 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Event | 6th International Conference of the International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics, IACMAG 2022 - Turin, Italy Duration: 30 Aug 2022 → 2 Sept 2022 |
Publication series
Name | Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering |
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Volume | 288 LNCE |
ISSN (Print) | 2366-2557 |
ISSN (Electronic) | 2366-2565 |
Conference
Conference | 6th International Conference of the International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics, IACMAG 2022 |
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Country/Territory | Italy |
City | Turin |
Period | 30/08/22 → 2/09/22 |
Bibliographical note
Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-careOtherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.
Keywords
- Bio-cemented soil
- DEM
- Inhomogeneity
- MICP
- Shear strength