Desiccation cracking remediation through enzyme induced calcite precipitation in fine-grained soils under wetting drying cycles

Abstract

The effects of desiccation cracking in clay soils on geotechnical constructions are substantial. This study investigates the viability of utilizing Enzyme-induced calcite precipitation (EICP), a bio inspired approach, as a potential solution for addressing desiccation cracking in fine-grain soils. For the EICP technique, crude soybean extract is employed for the purpose of urea hydrolysis. Multiple fluid samples, including a control sample, a cementation solution containing 1 M urea, 0.675 M CaCl₂, and 4 g/L milk, along with various concentrations of enzyme solutions (3-80 g/L), were tested for the study. To evaluate the surface cracking patterns, the method involved constant monitoring and photo recording using a high-resolution camera aided by image processing software. The results showed that fine-grain soils improved from increased calcite precipitation and decreased desiccation cracking intensity when the EICP method was used. Cementation and enzyme solution with low concentrations (3 g/L and 10 g/L) had similar effects on crack remediation, suggesting a modest influence. In contrast to the sample treated with water, the crack network remained unaltered in this case. CaCO₃ precipitation within the void area kept the crack network in place even as the void thickness decreased at increasing enzyme concentrations (30 g/L, 50 g/L, and 80 g/L). Wetting and drying cycles were found to decrease the crack ratio, crack width, and crack length in the EICP-treated sample, particularly under higher concentrations of urease enzyme. Lower enzyme concentrations of 3 g/L and 10 g/L have minimal impact on crack remediation but effectively inhibit new crack formation. Furthermore, higher enzyme concentrations result in calcium carbonate precipitates, forming a soil crust and increasing surface roughness. The study aims to enhance understanding of the EICP methodology and to provide novel perspectives on potential uses for soil enhancement.

Keywords

Desiccation crack / Wetting-drying cycle / Bio cementation / Plant-based EICP

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Kaniz Roksana: Study conception and design, Data collection, Analysis and interpretation of results, Writing -original draft. Cheng Zhu: Study conception and design, Resources, Supervision, Writing - review & editing. Aluthgun Hewage Shaini: Analysis and interpretation of results, Writing - review & editing. Chaosheng Tang: Study conception and design. Melissa Montalbo Lomboy: Analysis and interpretation of results. Wei Xue: Analysis and interpretation of results.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Chaosheng Tang is an editorial board member for Biogeotechnics and was not involved in the editorial review or the decision to publish this article.

Acknowledgement

This study is funded by Camden Health Research Initiative of Rowan University. This study was also supported by a subaward from Rutgers University, Center for Advanced Infrastructure & Transportation, under Grant no. 69A3551847102 from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rutgers, the State University or those of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R).

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