DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

JAIN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING BELAGAVI

2020-2021

SEMINAR PRESENTATION ON
“ SELF AMELIORATING CONCRETE”

Submited by : NITIN PATIL ( 2JI16CV026)

Under the Guidence of

: Prof M.M. NADAF
 INTRODUCTION
Cracks In concrete
 Concretes are very susceptible to cracking which allows
chemicals and water to enter .

 Cracking in the surface layer of concrete mainly reduces its

durability.

 When micro cracks growth reaches the reinforcement corrosion

occurs in the reinforcement.

 Synthetic polymers such as epoxy treatments are used for repair

of concrete and they harm to the environment.
• When these bacteria are injected in sand, they form a natural layer
of cement around each individual grain.

•The fact is that microbial metabolic activities promote calcite

precipitation which acts as binding material.

•Bacillus pasteruii, a common soil bacterium can be used to

induce calcite precipitation.

Bacillus subtilus
 SELF AMELIORATING CONCRETE
• Use of these Bio mineralogy concepts in concrete defined a new
material called “Bacterial Concrete”

• Bacillus subtilis mixed with concrete in dormant stage and they

remain hibernated for 200 years.Gets activated when exposed to
water or moisture.

• Precipitating calcite crystals through metabolism cycle the soluble

nutrients are converted to insolubleCaCO3.
 How does bacteria remediate cracks?

• Concrete is mixed with bacteria (bacillus subtilus) at

dormant stage.

• To survive in this high alkaline environment for long

durations form spores (highly resistant for 200 years )
withstanding during concrete mixing.

• A calcium lactate nutrient supplied along with bacteria in

suspension helps in producing calcite crystals.

• The spores of the bacteria germinate on contact with the

water and nutrients while cracks and get activated
 PRINCIPAL
 As the bacteria feeds oxygen is consumed and the soluble
calcium lactate is converted to insoluble limestone.
 The limestone solidifies on the cracked surface, thereby
sealing it up.
 Tests all show that bacteria embedded concrete has lower
water and chloride permeability by 88%
Reaction:
Ca 2+ + Cell --------> Cell- Ca 2+
Cell- Ca 2+ +CO3-----> Cell-CaCO 3
The crystals expand until the entire gap is filled.
 Calcite
bridging

Sand
grains
 Results by Research papers

Strength Study
 
Conventional Concrete Bio Concrete
@ 28 days age
M20 M30 M20 M30
Compressive
28.18 37.14 32.74 41.06
Strength
Split Tensile 3.26 4.51 3.93 5.13
Strength
Flexural Strength 4.68 5.11 6.11 6.73

Results in (Mpa) for Concrete and bacteria cell concentration 10^5/ml mixing water
EFFECT OF DIFFERENT CONCENTRATIONS OF
BACTERIAL
CELLS:-

4.3 × 108, 8.6 × 108, 4.3 × 109 cells per ml.

8.6 × 108 cells per ml conc... has found to induce maximum

compressive strength & was taken as optimum concentration.

Higher conc.. did not give higher compressive strength

values,because the greater population of bacteria did not have
enough nutrients to multiply.
 SCANING ELECTRON
MICROSCOPE (SEM)
EXAMINATION

Magnified image of hexagonal shaped Developing calcite crystals

calcite crystals with distinct and sharp at higher magnification
edges, which indicated full growth of the
crystals.
SEM images for cell concentration
 Advantages
• Perpetual and expected cracking that occurs in every
concrete structure due to its brittle nature can be
controlled.
• Repairs without a human work crew.
• Self-healing concrete also prevents the exposure of the
internal reinforcements.
• It has made to extend the life span of a concrete structure
of any size, shape.
• Material consumption reduced in form of cement.
 It is mostly used as microbial sealant for cracks &
fissures under the technique called
MECR(i.e.microbiologically enhanced crack
remediation. )
 Main advantage is that it pollution free & natural
 A way to fight erosion in sand-stone monuments &
historic buildings.
 Also has aesthetic equivalence in monuments &
historic buildings.
 LIMITATIONS
• Not more bacteria are known that can be used for calcite
precipitation.
• Difficulties in the injection technology of the bacteria into
sand.
• Extremely high pH of the concrete (above 12.5) hampers
the use of bacterial cell in MECR technique.
• Controlled environment is necessary.
 Conclusion
• Microbial mineral precipitation resulting improve the
overall behaviour of concrete.

• The greatest improvement in compressive strength

occurs at cell concentrations of 10^5 cells/ml mixing
water.

• The study result shows that 25% increase in 28 day

compressive strength.

• Less permeability and corrosion resistance.

 References
• S. SUNIL PRATAP REDDY International Journal
of Earth Sciences and Engineering ISSN 0974-5904,
Vol. 03, No. 01, February 2010, pp. 116-124.

• V.Ramakrishnan, K.P.Ramesh and S.S.Bang,

“Bacterial Concrete”Proceedings of SPIE Vol.4234
pp.168-176, Smart Materials.

• www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/
(ISSN)1547-5905
THANK YOU