Field Scale Application of Microbial Induced Carbonate Precipitation in Soil Improvement: Challenges and Opportunities

Biocementation through microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is a recently developed new branch in geotechnical engineering that improves the mechanical properties of bio-treated soils. The potential application of MICP to handle problems such as liquefaction and erosion has been established; this technique offers an environmentally friendly, cost-effective and convenient alternative to traditional soil improvement approaches. Nevertheless, in spite of the widespread demonstration of the process at laboratory scale, few field and practical applications have been implemented to assess the efficiency of the biochemical process. Therefore, this paper presents a review of the utilization of MICP for soil improvement and discusses the treatment process including the key constituents involved and the main affecting factors, especially in field scale applications. The major contribution of this research is to identify the main parameters restricting the application of this method on site. Finally, technical and commercial progress in the industrial adoption of the technology and the main challenges that are ahead for the future research prior to real practical application are briefly discussed.