Use of natural compounds as a nutrition for bacteria in self-healing mortar

Abstract

Microbiologically induced calcite precipitation, or calcium carbonate CaCO3, is used in remediating cracks and fissures in concrete. Since the microbial activity is pollution-free, natural, that process is extremely desired and may solve concrete cracking without sacrificing mechanical properties. The effects of different nutrient on the self-healing process are elucidated. Nutrients provide the required sources of energy for the bacterial growth and metabolic activities. A species of bacteria Bacillus sphaericus was added to the cement mix at a ratio of 0.6% of cement weight with three organic compounds for nutrients (calcium lactate, yeast extract and peptone) at 0.30% of cement weight. Effects on setting time, rate of water absorption, compressive strength and flexural strength were studied. It was found that bacteria nutrition acts as an accelerator for cement pastes for initial setting time mortar, while acts as a retarder of cement pastes for final setting time for all bacterial compared to control mortar. Finally, bacterial mortars with different types of nutrients showed an increase in compressive and flexural strengths with yeast extract showing the most promising enhancements, resulting in 26.5 and 60% increase in compressive and flexural strength respectively.