Abstract
This paper reports experimental findings on the effect of Bacillus subtilis on crack remediation in thermally degraded Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) mortars. Mortar prisms measuring 160 mm × 40 mm × 40 mm were cast using LC3 at water/cement (w/c) ratio of 0.5 and cured for 28 days. Half of the 28-day cured mortar prisms were thermally degraded by heating them at 1000 °C in a furnace to induce the cracks while the other half was used as a control. Both cracked and un-cracked mortar prisms were subjected to compressive strength, porosity and accelerated chloride ingress tests. Moreover, half of the cracked and un-cracked mortars were immersed in bacterial solution containing Bacillus subtilis while the other half was separately immersed in curing water until the 90th day. Compressive strength, porosity and chloride ingress tests were also repeated on the 90th day. Microstructural changes in cracked LC3 mortars were carried out using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) before and after immersion in bacterial solution. Results showed that at 28 days of curing, un-cracked mortars exhibited higher compressive strength, lower porosity and lower apparent chloride diffusion coefficients than cracked mortars. However, compressive strength, porosity and apparent chloride diffusion coefficients of both cracked and un-cracked mortars were equivalent after 90 days of curing in bacterial solution. SEM images showed visible micro-cracks after thermal treatment and healed cracks with calcite deposition after curing in bacterial solution. In conclusion, Bacillus subtilis was found to improve the crack healing capacity of thermally cracked mortars.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Marangu, J.M., Thiong’o, J.K., Wachira, J.M.: Review of carbonation resistance in hydrated cement based materials. J. Chem. 2019, 8489671 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8489671
Marangu, J.M.: Effects of sulfuric acid attack on hydrated calcined clay–limestone cement mortars. J. Sustain. Cem. Based Mater. 1–15 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1080/21650373.2020.1810168
Gao, J., Yu, Z., Song, L., Wang, T., Wei, S.: Durability of concrete exposed to sulfate attack under flexural loading and drying-wetting cycles. Constr. Build. Mater. 39, 33–38 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.05.033
Safiuddin, Md., Kaish, A., Woon, C.-O., Raman, S.: Early-age cracking in concrete: causes, consequences, remedial measures, and recommendations. Appl. Sci. 8, 1730 (2018). https://doi.org/10.3390/app8101730
Fernandes, I., Broekmans, M.A.T.M.: Alkali–silica reactions: an overview. Part I. Metallogr. Microstruct. Anal. 2, 257–267 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13632-013-0085-5
Sule, M., van Breugel, K.: The effect of reinforcement on early-age cracking due to autogenous shrinkage and thermal effects. Cem. Concr. Compos. 26, 581–587 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0958-9465(03)00078-7
Wang, H.: 25—Life-cycle analysis of repair of concrete pavements. In: Pacheco-Torgal, F., Melchers, R.E., Shi, X., Belie, N.D., Tittelboom, K.V., Sáez, A. (eds.) Eco-Efficient Repair and Rehabilitation of Concrete Infrastructures, pp. 723–738. Woodhead Publishing (2018). ISBN 978-0-08-102181-1
Mwiti, M.J., Karanja, T.J., Muthengia, W.J.: Thermal resistivity of chemically activated calcined clays-based cements. In: Martirena, F., Favier, A., Scrivener, K. (eds.) Proceedings of the Calcined Clays for Sustainable Concrete, pp. 327–333. Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht (2018)
Czarnecki, L., Geryło, R., Kuczyński, K.: Concrete repair durability. Materials 13, 4535 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13204535
Jonkers, H.M., Schlangen, E.: Self-Healing of Cracked Concrete: A Bacterial Approach, pp. 6
Abo-El-Enein, S.A., Ali, A.H., Talkhan, F.N., Abdel-Gawwad, H.A.: Utilization of microbial induced calcite precipitation for sand consolidation and mortar crack remediation. HBRC J. 8, 185–192 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hbrcj.2013.02.001
De Belie, N.: Application of bacteria in concrete: a critical evaluation of the current status. RILEM Tech. Lett. 1, 56 (2016). https://doi.org/10.21809/rilemtechlett.2016.14
Harkes, M.P., van Paassen, L.A., Booster, J.L., Whiffin, V.S., van Loosdrecht, M.C.M.: Fixation and distribution of bacterial activity in sand to induce carbonate precipitation for ground reinforcement. Ecol. Eng. 36, 112–117 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2009.01.004
Van Tittelboom, K., De Belie, N., De Muynck, W., Verstraete, W.: Use of bacteria to repair cracks in concrete. Cem. Concr. Res. 40, 157–166 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2009.08.025
Wong, L.S.: Microbial cementation of ureolytic bacteria from the genus bacillus: a review of the bacterial application on cement-based materials for cleaner production. J. Clean. Prod. 93, 5–17 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.01.019
Chaurasia, L., Verma, R.K., Bisht, V.: Microbial Carbonate Precipitation by Urease Producing Bacteria in Cementitious Materials, vol. 9
Joshi, S., Goyal, S., Mukherjee, A., Reddy, M.S.: Microbial healing of cracks in concrete: a review. J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 44, 1511–1525 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-017-1978-0
Okwadha, G.D.O., Li, J.: Optimum conditions for microbial carbonate precipitation. Chemosphere 81, 1143–1148 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.09.066
Mutitu, K.D., Munyao, M.O., Wachira, M.J., Mwirichia, R., Thiong’o, K.J., Marangu, M.J.: Effects of biocementation on some properties of cement-based materials incorporating Bacillus Species bacteria—a review. J. Sustain. Cem. Based Mater. 8, 309–325 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1080/21650373.2019.1640141
Marangu, J.M.: Physico-chemical properties of kenyan made calcined clay-limestone cement (LC3). Case Stud. Constr. Mater. 12, (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2020.e00333
Mihashi, H., de Leite, J.P.B.: State-of-the-art report on control of cracking in early age concrete. J. Adv. Concr. Technol. 2, 141–154 (2004). https://doi.org/10.3151/jact.2.141
Szeląg, M.: Evaluation of cracking patterns in cement composites-from basics to advances: a review. Materials (Basel) 13, 2490 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13112490
Abo-El-Enein, S.A., Ali, A.H., Talkhan, F.N., Abdel-Gawwad, H.A.: Application of microbial biocementation to improve the physico-mechanical properties of cement mortar. HBRC J. 9, 36–40 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hbrcj.2012.10.004
Canakci, H., Sidik, W., Halil Kilic, I.: Effect of bacterial calcium carbonate precipitation on compressibility and shear strength of organic soil. Soils Found. 55, 1211–1221 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2015.09.020
Chidara, R., Nagulagama, R., Yadav, S.: Achievement of early compressive strength in concrete using Sporosarcina Pasteurii bacteria as an admixture. Adv. Civ. Eng. 2014, 1–7 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/435948
Khattra, S.K., Parmar, M., Phutela, U.G.: Study of strength variation of concrete using ureolytic bacteria. 3, 4 (2016)
Neville, A.M.: Properties of Concrete, 4th and final ed., reprint ed.. Longman, Harlow, Essex (1997). ISBN 978-0-582-23070-5
Marangu, J.M.: Physico-chemical properties of kenyan made calcined clay-limestone cement (LC3). Case Stud. Const. Mater. 12, (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2020.e00333
Marangu, J.M., Muturia M’thiruaine, C., Bediako, M.: Physicochemical properties of hydrated Portland cement blended with rice husk ash. J. Chem. 2020, 5304745 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/5304745
Lafhaj, Z., Goueygou, M., Djerbi, A., Kaczmarek, M.: Correlation between porosity, permeability and ultrasonic parameters of mortar with variable water/cement ratio and water content. Cem. Concr. Res. 36, 625–633 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2005.11.009
Wu, B., Ye, G.: Development of porosity of cement paste blended with supplementary cementitious materials after carbonation. Constr. Build. Mater. 145, 52–61 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.03.176
Chen, X., Wu, S., Zhou, J.: Influence of porosity on compressive and tensile strength of cement mortar. Constr. Build. Mater. 40, 869–874 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.11.072
Chindaprasirt, P., Rukzon, S.: Strength, porosity and corrosion resistance of ternary blend Portland cement, rice husk ash and fly ash mortar. Constr. Build. Mater. 22, 1601–1606 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2007.06.010
Acknowledgements
This research was financed from the National Innovation Award 2020 awarded by the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KENIA) in the built environment and Technologies. The East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) and Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) are all duly acknowledged and highly appreciated for the provision of research facilities used in this project.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 RILEM
About this paper
Cite this paper
Marangu, J.M., Bediako, M. (2021). Effects of Bacillus subtilis on Crack Remediation in Thermally Degraded Limestone Calcined Clay Cement Mortars. In: Kanavaris, F., Benboudjema, F., Azenha, M. (eds) International RILEM Conference on Early-Age and Long-Term Cracking in RC Structures. CRC 2021. RILEM Bookseries, vol 31. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72921-9_31
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72921-9_31
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-72920-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-72921-9
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)