Effect of Glutinous Rice Slurry on the Reinforcement of Silt in the Yellow River Basin by Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP): Mechanical Property and Microcosmic Structure

The silty clay in the lower reaches of the Yellow River is characterized by loose structure, low strength, and strong capillary effect. Based on the technology of ancient glutinous rice mortar and microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP), experiments on optimal mass ratio of cementitious liquid to bacterial liquid and optimal concentration of cementitious liquid for MICP and improved MICP technology were carried out by measuring the production of CaCO3, and direct shear test and unconfined compressive strength test of plain silt, glutinous mixing silt, and improved silt with MICP and modified MICP were conducted. The microstructure of the reaction products of MICP and improved MICP technology were also evaluated based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Research results showed that the mechanical properties of silt with glutinous rice slurry were effectively improved. With the increase in the concentration of glutinous rice slurry, the strength and internal friction angle of soil samples first increased and then decreased, and the cohesion presented a linear increasing trend. When the concentration of cementitious liquid was 0.5 M and the mass ratio of cementitious liquid to bacterial liquid was 2 : 1, the amount of CaCO3 formed was the most, and the conversion rate of Ca2+ was more than 80%. The improved MICP could increase the conversion rate of Ca2+ (93.44%). An improved MICP showed that glutinous rice slurry could improve bacterial activity, increase the urease content in the bacterial solution, and promote the production of CaCO3. Silt cohesion and internal friction angle of the silt were improved by the improved MICP technology, and the strengthening effect of mechanical properties of modified MICP-reinforced soil is better than that of the MICP-reinforced soil; conventional MICP technology could also improve the soil cohesion, but the improvement in the internal friction angle was not obvious. The SEM results indicated that compared with the reaction product of MICP technology, the structure of the product of improved MICP technology is more compact, resulting in a marked reinforcement of MICP performance with glutinous rice slurry. This study provides new insights into enhancing the mechanical behaviour of MICP-treated silt in the Yellow River Basin with glutinous rice slurry.