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Shear behavior of bio-cemented calcareous sand treated through bio-stimulation under the direct shear condition

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Abstract

Microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) through the bio-stimulation approach is a promising ground improvement technique that can improve the engineering performance of calcareous sand. This study investigated the shear response of bio-cemented calcareous sand (with 16.2% and 54.6% initial relative density) treated by bio-stimulated MICP. The calcareous sand samples, prepared at two initial relative densities, were firstly subjected to the enrichment and cementation treatment to gain various cementation levels. Biochemical parameters including viable cell number, urea and ammonium concentration, and cementation content were measured during the two stages. The direct shear tests were then conducted at five different normal stresses, and the peak stress ratio, cohesion intercept, peak dilation angle, and stress-dilatancy relationship were obtained. The Mohr–Coulomb linear and bilinear failure envelopes were adopted to obtain the shear parameters. The results were further substantiated by microstructural observations. Finally, a conceptual framework was proposed to analyze the peak state shear behavior of bio-cemented calcareous sand. The interdependence between external influential factors (cementation level, initial relative density, and normal stress) and strength components (interparticle friction, interlocking (dilatancy), particle rearrangement, interparticle bonds and particle crushing) at the peak state were discussed in detail.

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Funding

This study was financially supported by the Hawaii Department of Transportation (2020-4R-SUPP), China National Natural Science Foundation (42007246), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2242022k30055). The authors would like to extend great thanks to Prof. Kenichi Soga and Dr. Michael Gomez for their help in data analysis and manuscript writing. We also thank Tara Penner, MSc, from Edanz (www.edanz.com/ac) for editing a draft of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Yi-Jie Wang & Xiao-Le Han

  2. Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

    Ning-Jun Jiang & Yan-Jun Du

  3. Geosyntec Consultants, Inc, Huntington Beach, CA, USA

    Ogul Doygun

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  1. Yi-Jie Wang
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  2. Ning-Jun Jiang
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Correspondence to Ning-Jun Jiang.

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Wang, YJ., Jiang, NJ., Han, XL. et al. Shear behavior of bio-cemented calcareous sand treated through bio-stimulation under the direct shear condition. Bull Eng Geol Environ 81, 413 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02907-5

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