Effect of Spatial Variability on Unconfined Compressive Strength of MICP-treated Soils

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

2025

Department

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Abstract

Spatial variability has been identified as a major cause of uncertainties in determining the geotechnical properties of chemically and biologically treated soils. This can be attributed to the fact that in natural conditions, the grain and pore size distribution of soils exhibit sporadic spatial variation. This spatial variability, along with other factors, contributes to an uneven distribution of the stabilizing agents, resulting in further spatial variability in other properties of treated soils such as their strength. This paper aims to identify the extent to which spatial variability affects the strength of cylindrical soil samples that have been treated by the Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation Method (MICP). A random finite volume method (RFVM) analysis was performed to simulate stress-strain behavior and the strength of MICP-treated soil samples to achieve this goal. In this RFVM model, the spatial variability in both the amount (percent by weight) and the extent (maximum precipitation distance from injection port) of precipitated calcite were considered. The results confirmed the adverse effects of both types of spatial variability on the stress-strain behavior and the peak (yield) stress of the treated samples. The results also showed that spatial variability in the extent of precipitated calcite plays a more significant role in the behavior of treated soils.

Publication Title

2025 International Conference on Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics (ICBBG2025)

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