Effect of freeze-thaw cycles on engineering properties of nano-SiO2 enhanced microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation in kaolinite clay

Ghalandarzadeh, Sara, Courcelles, Benoit, Boudreault, Richard, Arenson, Lukas U. and Maghoul, Pooneh, (2025). Effect of freeze-thaw cycles on engineering properties of nano-SiO2 enhanced microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation in kaolinite clay. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 234 1-14

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    Author Ghalandarzadeh, Sara
    Courcelles, Benoit
    Boudreault, Richard
    Arenson, Lukas U.
    Maghoul, Pooneh
    Title Effect of freeze-thaw cycles on engineering properties of nano-SiO2 enhanced microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation in kaolinite clay
    Appearing in Cold Regions Science and Technology
    Volume 234
    Publication Date 2025-02-21
    Place of Publication Amsterdam, Netherlands
    Publisher Elsevier B.V
    Start page 1
    End page 14
    Language eng
    Abstract Microbially Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) is a nature-based soil stabilization technique, that has substantially lower environmental impacts compared to conventional chemical-based methods. However, its application in fine-grained soils, such as clay, remains challenging due to the soil's plasticity and saturation levels, which can hinder the effectiveness of MICP. Furthermore, the performance of MICP-treated soils under extreme environmental conditions, such as cyclic freeze-thaw (FT) processes common in cold regions, has not been fully explored. This study addresses these challenges by investigating the enhancement of MICP using nano- in kaolinite clay subjected to FT cycles, proposing a novel nano-bio soil stabilization method for cold regions. Samples treated with 30 % bacterial (e.g. Bacillus Pasteurii) and cementation solutions, supplemented with 1.5 % nano- over four weeks of curing time, were subjected to cyclic FT and triaxial compression tests. Treated samples demonstrated significantly higher peak shear strengths compared to untreated samples under varying confining stress conditions. A reduction in strength was observed in the treated samples as the number of FT cycles increased. However, by the sixth FT cycle, the treated samples showed a significant improvement in strength compared to the untreated samples, with increases of 4.00, 4.96, and 3.49 times under confining pressures of 50, 100, and 150 kPa, respectively. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the stabilization method under cyclic FT conditions. Microstructural analyses revealed increased calcium carbonate content and altered soil texture in treated samples, which affirms the effectiveness of the nano-bio stabilization approach.
    Keyword MICP
    Bacillus pasteurii
    Nano-SiO2
    Nature-based soil stabilization
    Biocalcification
    Kaolinite
    Freeze-thaw cycle
    Copyright Holder The Author(s)
    Copyright Year 2025
    Copyright type Creative commons
    DOI 10.1016/j.coldregions.2025.104459
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    Created: Wed, 09 Apr 2025, 03:39:22 JST by Miriam Aczel on behalf of UNU INWEH