Experimental study on weatherability of MICP-reinforced sea sand under seawater environment

doi:10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2025.08.022

Journal of ZheJiang University (Engineering Science)

2025, Vol. 59

Issue (8): 1746-1754 DOI: 10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2025.08.022

Experimental study on weatherability of MICP-reinforced sea sand under seawater environment

Wenbin LIN1,2(

),Xianfeng LIU1,2,Yupeng GAO1,2,Shenggen CAO1,2,Xianghang CHEN1,2,Xiaohui CHENG3,*(

)

1. Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology and Informatization in Civil Engineering, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou 350118, China
2. Institute of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou 350118, China
3. Department of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

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Abstract

Specimens treated in both seawater and freshwater environments were subjected to wet-dry cycling and acid solution immersion tests in order to analyze the weathering resistance of silica sea sand reinforced using microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP). Apparent changes, mass-loss rate and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) were measured. The intrinsic mechanism of specimen deterioration was analyzed through scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. Results showed that seawater specimens exhibited better resistance to dry-wet cycles than freshwater specimens, with mass-loss rates of 3.60% and 11.94% after 60 cycles, and the UCS residual ratios were 38.44% and 24.69%, respectively. Freshwater specimens demonstrated greater acid resistance than seawater specimens. The mass-loss rates of freshwater and seawater specimens were 0.44%-3.46% and 0.51%-6.90%, respectively, with UCS residual ratios being 51.22%-92.14% and 26.47%-87.36% after 60 days of immersion in acid solutions of varying pH. Dry-wet cycles did not affect the morphology of calcium carbonate crystals inside the specimens. The strength-loss was mainly due to the degree of cementation between sand particles. The complex ions in seawater promote the uniform distribution of calcium carbonate, resulting in better resistance to dry-wet cycles in seawater specimens. Immersion in acid solutions leads to varying degrees of corrosion of calcium carbonate crystals, damaging the cementation between sand particles. Since freshwater specimens contain a relatively higher mass of calcium carbonate, their ability to resist acid corrosion is stronger.

Key words： microbially induced calcite precipitation natural seawater sea sand dry-wet cycle acid solution corrosion

Received: 16 August 2024 Published: 28 July 2025

CLC:

TU 441

Fund: 福建省交通运输科技计划资助项目（YB202417）；福建省科技计划资助项目（2023Y3008）；大学生创新创业训练计划资助项目（S202410388061，S202410388066）.

Corresponding Authors: Xiaohui CHENG E-mail: linwb@fjut.edu.cn;chengxh@tsinghua.edu.cn

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Cite this article:

Wenbin LIN,Xianfeng LIU,Yupeng GAO,Shenggen CAO,Xianghang CHEN,Xiaohui CHENG. Experimental study on weatherability of MICP-reinforced sea sand under seawater environment. Journal of ZheJiang University (Engineering Science), 2025, 59(8): 1746-1754.

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https://www.zjujournals.com/eng/10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2025.08.022 OR https://www.zjujournals.com/eng/Y2025/V59/I8/1746

海水环境下MICP加固海砂耐候性试验研究

为了探究微生物诱导碳酸钙沉淀(MICP)技术加固硅质海砂的耐候性能，对海水和淡水环境下加固后的试样进行干湿循环和酸溶液浸泡试验，测试了试样的表观变化、质量损失率和无侧限抗压强度（UCS），通过扫描电镜和X射线衍射分析试样劣化的内在机理. 结果表明，海水试样的抗干湿循环能力更强，60次干湿循环后，海水和淡水试样的质量损失率分别为3.60%和11.94%，UCS剩余率分别为38.44%和24.69%. 淡水试样的耐酸性能强于海水试样，60天不同pH酸溶液浸泡后，淡水和海水试样的质量损失率分别为0.44%~3.46%和0.51%~6.90%，UCS剩余率分别为51.22%~92.14%和26.47%~87.36%. 干湿循环没有改变试样内部碳酸钙晶体的形貌，试样强度的损失取决于砂颗粒间的胶结程度. 海水中的复杂离子促进了碳酸钙的均匀分布，使得海水试样具有更好的抗干湿循环性能. 酸溶液浸泡导致不同程度的碳酸钙晶体腐蚀，并破坏砂颗粒间的胶结作用. 淡水试样的碳酸钙生成质量相对更高，因此抵抗酸腐蚀能力更强.

关键词： 微生物诱导碳酸钙沉淀, 天然海水, 海砂, 干湿循环, 酸溶液腐蚀

Fig.1 Particle size distribution curve of sea sand

Tab.1 Test programs in different erosive environment

Fig.2 Surface morphology variation of specimen under dry-wet cycle　　　　　

Fig.3 Mass-loss rate of specimen under different dry-wet cycles

Fig.4 UCS residuals of specimens under different dry-wet cycles

Fig.5 Surface morphology variation of specimen under different immersion time and pH value

Fig.6 Mass-loss rate of specimen under different immersion time and pH

Tab.2 UCS residual rate of specimen under different immersion time and pH

Fig.7 Internal microscopic morphology of specimen before and after dry-wet cycle

Fig.8 Internal microscopic morphology of seawater and freshwater specimen

Fig.9 Internal microscopic morphology of seawater specimen after 60 days of immersion in different pH acid solutions

Fig.10 EDS energy spectrum result after 60 d immersion of pH = 3.5 seawater specimen

Fig.11 XRD pattern of specimen under different erosion effect


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