An article co-authored by Pinar Gunyol, a Project Consultant in CEC Austin’s Civil Engineering practice, has been published in American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering.
The article is titled “Effect of Fines Content on Calcium Carbonate Precipitation and Thermal Properties of Biocemented Sand.” She conducted the experiments and authored the article as part of her thesis for her master’s degree in civil engineering from Montana State University, where she also earned her B.S. in civil engineering.
As the first author, Pinar conducted all of the research, performed the experiments and wrote the article. The article was submitted for publication by second author and her adviser, Mohammad Khosravi, Ph.D., M.ASCE, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Montana State University in Bozeman.
SEM images obtained for the MICP-treated material: (Left) Calcite crystals (arrows) binding sand particles; cluster of sand particles attached together by calcite bridges.
Pinar’s research summary of states:
“The construction industry produces massive amounts of carbon emissions. The problem is aggravated by the high demand for cement as binding powder.
Bio-cementation is a new sustainable approach that has gained popularity due to its low energy and carbon dioxide footprint compared with those of existing technologies for improving construction materials and applications in civil and environmental engineering.
Bio-cementation is a technique that uses microorganisms to produce calcium carbonate for construction purpose. Through microbiologically induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP), microorganisms can react with chemical components to produce minerals in the form of organic–inorganic compounds acting as a binding agent.
There are number of uses and applications of biocementation such as crack repairs and surface treatment in concrete and soil stabilization.
The purpose of this research was to investigate thermal properties of bio-cemented sand and effect of fines content on bio-cementation process. And provide a comprehensive discussion on the development of bio-cementation for soil improvement/reinforcement.
This paper summarizes the results of column experiments to study the effect of thermal properties of bio-cemented silty sand. The ureolytic bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii was used as a source of urease enzyme and calcium and urea containing solutions were injected into sand-filled columns to promote MICP.
The results indicate that there is a positive correlation between the increase in thermal conductivity (Δk) and the amount of CaCO3 precipitation in the soil matrix. The maximum Δk after bio-cementation was 0.44 W/mK, representing a 17% increase in thermal properties, for 9.7% (Gunyol et al., 2024).”
Additional authors on the article include Adrienne Phillips, Ph.D.. Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Montana State University; Kathryn Plymesser, Ph.D., P.E. Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Montana State University; and Albert Parker, Ph.D., Research Professor, Center for Biofilm Engineering, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Montana State University.
Pinar has been with CEC for almost two years and says moving from Montana to Texas was one of the best decisions of her life.
”Pinar has brought her wealth of knowledge to our Civil Practice work ranging from Site/Civil to Geotechnical, Water Resources, and Solid Waste. Her fresh perspective helps to serve our clients with a diverse expertise that they appreciate,” adds James Massaro, Senior Project Manager in Austin.
About CEC Austin
CEC Austin has been in operation since 2011, expanding capabilities and hiring the brightest people to serve diverse markets in Texas. Today, the engineers, scientists, surveyors, and technical staff of CEC Austin offer residential, commercial, and institutional clients a full range of expertise in air quality, civil engineering, traffic engineering, environmental engineering and sciences, survey/geospatial services, waste management, and water resources. Over the years, we’ve strengthened our bench to be able to provide solutions at every phase of a project — cradle to grave.
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