• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.51-57
• /
• 2012

The purpose of study is to understand the possibility of biogrout of soil induced by bacteria. Microbial Calcium Carbonate Precipitation(MCP) has been analysed using the microorganism Bacillus Pasteurii. In order to understand the biogrout of soft ground treated with microbial calcium carbonate precipitation, four types of specimens(sterilization soil, non-sterilization soil, reaction solution and microorganism solution with pre-treatment mix and reaction solution and microorganism solution with post-treatment mix) were made. Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM), EDX and X-ray diffraction(XRD) analyses were performed on the soft ground specimens. On the basis of the preliminary results, it appears that microbial treatment methods using calcium carbonate precipitation may be possible to improve property of biogrout.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.103-108
• /
• 2023

In this study, basic research was conducted to secure microbial resources applicable to autonomous crack healing concrete. To this end, in this experiment, biomineral-forming microorganisms were separated from natural sources, and the ability of survival in cement and calcium carbonate precipitation were compared to secure suitable microbial resources. Bacillus-type bacteria forming endospores were isolated from the sample, and the amount of calcium carbonate produced by the six microorganisms identified by 16S rRNA sequencing was compared. Two types of microorganisms, Bacillus velezensis and Bacillus subtilis, with the highest calcium carbonate precipitation were selected, and the survival of the microorganisms was confirmed through phase contrast microscopy after being cured after being added to the mortar. In addition, it was confirmed that the autonomous crack healing capability by the crack healing material produced by microorganisms was confirmed by artificially generating cracks in the mortar.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.364-372
• /
• 2016

Sand tubules, made up of sand grains cemented by microbe-induced calcium carbonate precipitation, have been found in China's Ningxia Province. Sand tubules grow like a tree's roots about 40-60 cm below the surface. The properties of sand tubules and their bacterial community were examined. X-Ray diffraction analysis revealed that the sand tubules were associated with crystalline calcite. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the crystalline solid had a lamellar structure and lacked the presence of cells, suggesting that no bacteria acted as nucleation sites, nor that the crystalline solid was formed by the aggregation of bacteria. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis showed 11 of the 12 detectable bands were uncultured bacteria by BLAST analysis in the GenBank database, and the rest were closely related to Paenibacillus sp. (100% identity). By cultivation techniques, the only strain isolated from the sand tubule was suggested to be related to Paenibacillus sp.; no archaea were found. Furthermore, Paenibacillus sp. was demonstrated to induce calcium carbonate precipitation in vitro.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.31 no.9
• /
• pp.1311-1322
• /
• 2021

Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) has recently become an intelligent and environmentally friendly method for repairing cracks in concrete. To improve on this ability of microbial materials concrete repair, we applied random mutagenesis and optimization of mineralization conditions to improve the quantity and crystal form of microbially precipitated calcium carbonate. Sporosarcina pasteurii ATCC 11859 was used as the starting strain to obtain the mutant with high urease activity by atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP) mutagenesis. Next, we investigated the optimal biomineralization conditions and precipitation crystal form using Plackett-Burman experimental design and response surface methodology (RSM). Biomineralization with 0.73 mol/l calcium chloride, 45 g/l urea, reaction temperature of 45℃, and reaction time of 22 h, significantly increased the amount of precipitated calcium carbonate, which was deposited in the form of calcite crystals. Finally, the repair of concrete using the optimized biomineralization process was evaluated. A comparison of water absorption and adhesion of concrete specimens before and after repairs showed that concrete cracks and surface defects could be efficiently repaired. This study provides a new method to engineer biocementing material for concrete repair.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.416-424
• /
• 2023

Concrete emits a large amount of carbon dioxide throughout its life cycle, and due to the societal demand for carbon dioxide reduction, research on storing carbon dioxide in concrete in the form of minerals is ongoing. In this study, cyanobacteria, which absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and fix it as calcium carbonate, were applied to a porous concrete substrate, and the changes in the properties of the concrete substrate due to their special environmental curing condition were analyzed. The results showed that the calcium carbonate precipitation by the microorganisms was concentrated in the light-exposed surface area, and most of the precipitation occurred in the cement paste part, not in the aggregate. This microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation enhanced the mechanical performance of the paste and improved the overall compressive strength as the curing age progressed. In addition, the increase in microbial biofilm and calcium carbonate improved the pore structure, which influenced the reduction in water permeability.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.347-359
• /
• 2023

With the development of infrastructure, there is a critical shortage of filling materials all over the word. However, a large amount of silt accumulated in the lower reaches of the Yellow River is treated as waste every year, which will cause environmental pollution and waste of resources. Microbial induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology, with the advantage of efficient, economical and environmentally friendly protection, is selected to solidify the abandoned Yellow River silt with poor mechanical properties into high-quality filling material in this paper. Based on unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test, determination of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) content and scanning electron microscope (SEM) test, the effects of cementation solution concentration, treatment times and relative density on the solidification effect were studied. The results show that the loose silt particles can be effectively solidified together into filling material with excellent mechanical properties through MICP technology. The concentration of cementation solution have a significant impact on the solidification effect, and the reasonable concentration of cementation solution is 1.5 mol/L. With the increase of treatment times, the pores in the soil are filled with CaCO₃, and the UCS of the specimens after 10 times of treatment can reach 2.5 MPa with a relatively high CaCO₃ content of 26%. With the improvement of treatment degree, the influence of relative density on the UCS increases gradually. Microscopic analysis revealed that after MICP reinforcement, CaCO₃ adhered to the surface of soil particles and cemented with each other to form a dense structure.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.23 no.9
• /
• pp.1269-1278
• /
• 2013

Crack remediation on the surface of cement mortar using microbiological calcium carbonate ($CaCO_3$) precipitation (MICP) has been investigated as a microbial sealing agent on construction materials. However, MICP research has never acknowledged the antifungal properties of calcite-forming bacteria (CFB). Since fungal colonization on concrete surfaces can trigger biodeterioration processes, fungi on concrete buildings have to be prevented. Therefore, to develop a microbial sealing agent that has antifungal properties to remediate cement cracks without deteriorative fungal colonization, we introduced an antifungal CFB isolated from oceanic islands (Dokdo islands, territory of South Korea, located at the edge of the East Sea in Korea.). The isolation of CFB was done using B4 or urea-$CaCl_2$ media. Furthermore, antifungal assays were done using the pairing culture and disk diffusion methods. Five isolated CFB showed $CaCO_3$ precipitation and antifungal activities against deteriorative fungal strains. Subsequently, five candidate bacteria were identified using 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Crack remediation, fungi growth inhibition, and water permeability reduction of antifungal CFB-treated cement surfaces were tested. All antifungal CFB showed crack remediation abilities, but only three strains (KNUC2100, 2103, and 2106) reduced the water permeability. Furthermore, these three strains showed fungi growth inhibition. This paper is the first application research of CFB that have antifungal activity, for an eco-friendly improvement of construction materials.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.22 no.7
• /
• pp.1015-1020
• /
• 2012

Antifungal cement mortar or microbiological calcium carbonate precipitation on cement surface has been investigated as functional concrete research. However, these research concepts have never been fused with each other. In this study, we introduced the antifungal calcite-forming bacteria (CFB) Bacillus aryabhattai KNUC205, isolated from an urban tunnel (Daegu, South Korea). The major fungal deteriogens in urban tunnel, Cladosporium sphaerospermum KNUC253, was used as a sensitive fungal strain. B. aryabhattai KNUC205 showed $CaCO_3$ precipitation on B4 medium. Cracked cement mortar pastes were made and neutralized by modified methods. Subsequently, the mixture of B. aryabhattai KNUC205, conidiospore of C. sphaerospermum KNUC253, and B4 agar was applied to cement cracks and incubated at $18^{\circ}C$ for 16 days. B. aryabhattai KNUC205 showed fungal growth inhibition against C. sphaerospermum. Furthermore, B. aryabhattai KNUC205 showed crack remediation ability and water permeability reduction of cement mortar pastes. Taken together, these results suggest that the $CaCO_3$ precipitation and antifungal properties of B. aryabhattai KNUC205 could be used as an effective sealing or coating material that can also prevent deteriorative fungal growth. This study is the first application and evaluation research that incorporates calcite formation with antifungal capabilities of microorganisms for an environment-friendly and more effective protection of cement materials. In this research, the conception of microbial construction materials was expanded.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.54 no.10
• /
• pp.3631-3640
• /
• 2022

Uranium mill tailing ponds (UMTPs) are risk source of debris flow and a critical source of environmental U and Rn pollution. The technology of microbial induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) has been extensively studied on reinforcement of UMTs, while little attention has been paid to the effects of MICP on U & Rn release, especially when incorporation of metakaolin and bacillus subtilis (MBS). In this study, the reinforcement and U & Rn immobilization role of MBS -MICP solidification in different grouting cycle for uranium mill tailings (UMTs) was comprehensively investigated. The results showed that under the action of about 166.7 g/L metakaolin and ~50% bacillus subtilis, the solidification cycle of MICP was shortened by 50%, the solidified bodies became brittle, and the axial stress increased by up to 7.9%, and U immobilization rates and Rn exhalation rates decrease by 12.6% and 0.8%, respectively. Therefore, the incorporation of MBS can enhance the triaxial compressive strength and improve the immobilization capacity of U and Rn of the UMTs bodies solidified during MICP, due to the reduction of pore volume and surface area, the formation of more crystals general gypsum and gismondine, as well as the enhancing of coprecipitation and encapsulation capacity.