Sujet de thèse IFSTTAR

English version
Fiche détaillée :

Titre : Foam-MICP: Foam mediated Microbiologically Induced Calcite Precipitation

Laboratoire principal - Référent principal Navier  -  PITOIS Olivier      tél. : +33 181668451

Directeur du laboratoire principal SULEM Jean  -

Laboratoire 2 - Référent MAST - CPDM  -  GUEGUEN Marielle  -    -  tél. : +33 181668154

Spécialité de la thèse Sciences des Matériaux

Axe 3 - COP2017 - Aménager et protéger les territoires

Site principal Marne-la-Vallée

Etablissement d'inscription UNIVERSITE GUSTAVE EIFFEL

Ecole doctorale SCIENCES, INGENIERIE ET ENVIRONNEMENT (SIE)

Directeur de thèse prévu PITOIS Olivier  -  Université Gustave Eiffel  -  Navier

Co-directeur de thèse prévu GUEGUEN Marielle  -  Université Gustave Eiffel  -  MAST - CPDM

Type de financement prévu Contrat doctoral  - Université Gustave Eiffel

Résumé

Description: Population growth leads to the continuous expansion of civil infrastructure, which is directly limited by the availability of constructible land. The majority of soil improvement techniques - to make it suitable for construction - use large quantities of energy. They involve injecting synthetic solutions, such as cement slurries, resins and polymers, with the aim of 'cementing' the grains of the soil [Karol 2003]. These approaches pose serious environmental problems, and more environmentally friendly methods need to be developed. A recent alternative approach uses the combined action of micro-organisms, nutrients and biological processes naturally present in soils to improve their mechanical properties. The Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) method [Le Metayer-Levrel 1999] involves injecting ureolytic bacteria and other compounds (urea and calcium ions) into the soil. Thanks to the bacterial activity, the urea is degraded and causes the increase in pH and the precipitation of calcium carbonate. During this stage, the bacteria act as nucleation sites [van Paassen 2009]. This precipitate then acts as a cement in the soil porosity, providing mechanical resistance to the assembly of grains [DeJong 2006].
This emerging field of research, which is at the frontier between microbiology, geochemistry and civil engineering, has proposed ways of optimizing the process, particularly in terms of mechanical strength. One of the most interesting results in this field is the demonstration of an increase in mechanical strength when bio-mineralization is carried out in an unsaturated soil, i.e. one containing liquid in only a fraction of its porosity [Cheng 2012 and 2013]: at 20% liquid content, relatively little CaCO3 precipitation is sufficient to provide maximum strength. This effect can be explained by the organization of the liquid phase in the porosity under the effect of capillary pressures: numerous liquid capillary bridges are formed in which the bacteria will concentrate the precipitation and cementation, rather than dispersing it throughout the pore volume.
A new step has just been reached at Navier Laboratory with the development of bio-calcifying liquid foams [Ceccaldi 2023_PhD], which help to meet the requirement of low liquid content in the pore space. Moreover, the use of liquid foam in high-permeability soils (e.g. sands) has been shown to promote a robust pendular-like regime, which is reminiscent of the pendular regime in unsaturated media [Pitois 2023]: bacteria concentrate in those precursor liquid bridges between grains where bio-cementation takes place.

With this new method, that we call Foam-MICP, foam rheology is also useful to mitigate effects due to permeability contrast within the soil layers, which ensure an efficient filling of the pore space. Note also that the liquid relative permeability of the foam-filled porous medium has been shown to allow active substances or nutrients (for bacteria) to be delivered deep into the medium [Ceccaldi 2023]. This new potential method, that we call Foam-MICP, remains to be validated in terms of mechanical strength provided in various soils. This is the purpose of the present project.
The experimental approach will consist in optimizing the way the method is applied, e.g. filling the pore space with bacteria-loaded foam or introduction of the bacteria/nutriment after the foam filling step, foam liquid fraction, duration of one treatment, number of successive treatments… For each sample, the precipitation will be followed by ultrasound methods coupled with classical mechanical tests. X-Ray Tomography will be used to assess the distribution of CaCO3 precipitate. Navier’s team has long experience in in-situ mechanical tests and quantitative analysis of the obtained 4D data sets, in particular with DVC (Digital Volume Correlation) and damage detection on 3D images to identify and quantify the mechanisms responsible for the observed deformation. We will apply this methodology to our solidified samples submitted to uniaxial compression. In addition, mechanical tests will be performed at the scale of two foam-embedded grains to determine the resulting precipitate-induced adhesion force. Both grain-scale information and precipitate distribution will allow the understand the mechanical strength measured at the macro-scale. Comparison with the classical MICP method will allow to highlight the potential interest of the Foam-MICP method.

References
[Ceccaldi 2023_PhD] PhD of University Gustave Eiffel, PhD defence scheduled for 24 october 2023. Supervisor: Olivier Pitois
[Ceccaldi 2023] Ceccaldi M., Langlois V., Gueguen M., Grande D., Vincent-Bonnieu S., Pitois O. Liquid relative permeability through foam-filled porous media: Experiments, Physical Review Fluids (2023) 8, 024302
[Cheng 2012] Cheng, L., and Cord-Ruwisch, R., In situ soil cementation with ureolytic bacteria by surface percolation. Ecological Engineering, 42 (2012) 64–72. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2012.01.013.
[Cheng 2013] L. Cheng et al., Cementation of sand soil by microbially induced calcite precipitation at various degrees of saturation, Can. Geotech. J., 50, 81–90 (2013)
[DeJong 2006] DeJong, J.T., Fritzges, M.B., Nüsslein, K., Microbial induced cementation to control sand response to undrained shear. ASCE J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 132 (2006) 1381–1392.
[Karol, 2003] Karol, R.H., Chemical Grouting and Soil Stabilization. Marcel Dekker,NewYork, NY, 558 (2003).
[Le Metayer-Levrel 1999] Le Metayer-Levrel, G., Castanier, S., Orial, G., Loubiere, J.F., Perthuisot, J.P., Applications of bacterial carbonatogenesis to the protection and regeneration of limestones in buildings and historic patrimony. Sediment. Geol. 126 (1999) 25–34.
[Pitois 2023] Pitois O., Salame A., Khidas Y., Ceccaldi M., Langlois V., Vincent-Bonnieu S. Daisy-shaped liquid bridges in foam-filled granular packings, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (2023) 638, pp. 552-560
[van Paassen 2009] van Paassen, L.A., van Lossdrecht, M.C.M., Pieron, M., Mulder, A., Ngan-Tillardm, D.J.M., and van der Linden, T.J.M. 2009. Strength and deformation of biologically cemented sandstone. Proceedings of the ISRM Regional Conference EUROCK 2009-Rock Engineering in Difficult Ground Conditions- Soft Rocks and Karst, 29–31 October 2009, Dubrovnik, Croatia, pp. 405–410.

Mots-clefs: Foam, porous media, bacteria, soil mechanics

Laboratoire principal - Référent principal	Navier - PITOIS Olivier tél. : +33 181668451
Directeur du laboratoire principal	SULEM Jean -
Laboratoire 2 - Référent	MAST - CPDM - GUEGUEN Marielle - - tél. : +33 181668154
Spécialité de la thèse	Sciences des Matériaux
Axe	3 - COP2017 - Aménager et protéger les territoires
Site principal	Marne-la-Vallée
Etablissement d'inscription	UNIVERSITE GUSTAVE EIFFEL
Ecole doctorale	SCIENCES, INGENIERIE ET ENVIRONNEMENT (SIE)
Directeur de thèse prévu	PITOIS Olivier - Université Gustave Eiffel - Navier
Co-directeur de thèse prévu	GUEGUEN Marielle - Université Gustave Eiffel - MAST - CPDM
Type de financement prévu	Contrat doctoral - Université Gustave Eiffel
Résumé Description: Population growth leads to the continuous expansion of civil infrastructure, which is directly limited by the availability of constructible land. The majority of soil improvement techniques - to make it suitable for construction - use large quantities of energy. They involve injecting synthetic solutions, such as cement slurries, resins and polymers, with the aim of 'cementing' the grains of the soil [Karol 2003]. These approaches pose serious environmental problems, and more environmentally friendly methods need to be developed. A recent alternative approach uses the combined action of micro-organisms, nutrients and biological processes naturally present in soils to improve their mechanical properties. The Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) method [Le Metayer-Levrel 1999] involves injecting ureolytic bacteria and other compounds (urea and calcium ions) into the soil. Thanks to the bacterial activity, the urea is degraded and causes the increase in pH and the precipitation of calcium carbonate. During this stage, the bacteria act as nucleation sites [van Paassen 2009]. This precipitate then acts as a cement in the soil porosity, providing mechanical resistance to the assembly of grains [DeJong 2006]. This emerging field of research, which is at the frontier between microbiology, geochemistry and civil engineering, has proposed ways of optimizing the process, particularly in terms of mechanical strength. One of the most interesting results in this field is the demonstration of an increase in mechanical strength when bio-mineralization is carried out in an unsaturated soil, i.e. one containing liquid in only a fraction of its porosity [Cheng 2012 and 2013]: at 20% liquid content, relatively little CaCO3 precipitation is sufficient to provide maximum strength. This effect can be explained by the organization of the liquid phase in the porosity under the effect of capillary pressures: numerous liquid capillary bridges are formed in which the bacteria will concentrate the precipitation and cementation, rather than dispersing it throughout the pore volume. A new step has just been reached at Navier Laboratory with the development of bio-calcifying liquid foams [Ceccaldi 2023_PhD], which help to meet the requirement of low liquid content in the pore space. Moreover, the use of liquid foam in high-permeability soils (e.g. sands) has been shown to promote a robust pendular-like regime, which is reminiscent of the pendular regime in unsaturated media [Pitois 2023]: bacteria concentrate in those precursor liquid bridges between grains where bio-cementation takes place. With this new method, that we call Foam-MICP, foam rheology is also useful to mitigate effects due to permeability contrast within the soil layers, which ensure an efficient filling of the pore space. Note also that the liquid relative permeability of the foam-filled porous medium has been shown to allow active substances or nutrients (for bacteria) to be delivered deep into the medium [Ceccaldi 2023]. This new potential method, that we call Foam-MICP, remains to be validated in terms of mechanical strength provided in various soils. This is the purpose of the present project. The experimental approach will consist in optimizing the way the method is applied, e.g. filling the pore space with bacteria-loaded foam or introduction of the bacteria/nutriment after the foam filling step, foam liquid fraction, duration of one treatment, number of successive treatments… For each sample, the precipitation will be followed by ultrasound methods coupled with classical mechanical tests. X-Ray Tomography will be used to assess the distribution of CaCO3 precipitate. Navier’s team has long experience in in-situ mechanical tests and quantitative analysis of the obtained 4D data sets, in particular with DVC (Digital Volume Correlation) and damage detection on 3D images to identify and quantify the mechanisms responsible for the observed deformation. We will apply this methodology to our solidified samples submitted to uniaxial compression. In addition, mechanical tests will be performed at the scale of two foam-embedded grains to determine the resulting precipitate-induced adhesion force. Both grain-scale information and precipitate distribution will allow the understand the mechanical strength measured at the macro-scale. Comparison with the classical MICP method will allow to highlight the potential interest of the Foam-MICP method. References [Ceccaldi 2023_PhD] PhD of University Gustave Eiffel, PhD defence scheduled for 24 october 2023. Supervisor: Olivier Pitois [Ceccaldi 2023] Ceccaldi M., Langlois V., Gueguen M., Grande D., Vincent-Bonnieu S., Pitois O. Liquid relative permeability through foam-filled porous media: Experiments, Physical Review Fluids (2023) 8, 024302 [Cheng 2012] Cheng, L., and Cord-Ruwisch, R., In situ soil cementation with ureolytic bacteria by surface percolation. Ecological Engineering, 42 (2012) 64–72. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2012.01.013. [Cheng 2013] L. Cheng et al., Cementation of sand soil by microbially induced calcite precipitation at various degrees of saturation, Can. Geotech. J., 50, 81–90 (2013) [DeJong 2006] DeJong, J.T., Fritzges, M.B., Nüsslein, K., Microbial induced cementation to control sand response to undrained shear. ASCE J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 132 (2006) 1381–1392. [Karol, 2003] Karol, R.H., Chemical Grouting and Soil Stabilization. Marcel Dekker,NewYork, NY, 558 (2003). [Le Metayer-Levrel 1999] Le Metayer-Levrel, G., Castanier, S., Orial, G., Loubiere, J.F., Perthuisot, J.P., Applications of bacterial carbonatogenesis to the protection and regeneration of limestones in buildings and historic patrimony. Sediment. Geol. 126 (1999) 25–34. [Pitois 2023] Pitois O., Salame A., Khidas Y., Ceccaldi M., Langlois V., Vincent-Bonnieu S. Daisy-shaped liquid bridges in foam-filled granular packings, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (2023) 638, pp. 552-560 [van Paassen 2009] van Paassen, L.A., van Lossdrecht, M.C.M., Pieron, M., Mulder, A., Ngan-Tillardm, D.J.M., and van der Linden, T.J.M. 2009. Strength and deformation of biologically cemented sandstone. Proceedings of the ISRM Regional Conference EUROCK 2009-Rock Engineering in Difficult Ground Conditions- Soft Rocks and Karst, 29–31 October 2009, Dubrovnik, Croatia, pp. 405–410.
Mots-clefs:	Foam, porous media, bacteria, soil mechanics

Liste des sujets

N'oubliez pas de contacter préalablement le référent ou le Directeur du laboratoire