Abstract
Microbes play key geoactive roles in the biosphere, particularly in the areas of element biotransformations, biogeochemical cycling and mineral transformations and formations. Recently, the ability of bacteria to produce minerals such as carbonates has been studied in detail with various uses in civil engineering. Natural processes, such as weathering, faults, land subsidence, earthquakes, and human activities create fractures and fissures in concrete structures, which can reduce the service life of the structures. ‘Microbial Concrete’ a novel metabolic byproduct of microbially induced calcite precipitation by way of urease (urea hydrolyzing enzyme) presents a promising novel biotechnology for the enhancement of durability of building materials and structures. The ubiquity and importance of microbes in inducing calcite precipitation make “microbial concrete” a most important metabolic product of biomineralization that can remediate and restore such structures. Urease producing bacteria when added to cement, helps in the improvement of compressive strength, reduction of permeability and reduced corrosion rate of reinforced structure. The promising results using this metabolic product encouraged different research groups world wide and in-depth studies of these different approaches have been discussed in this chapter. The methodologies to such approach have also been discussed. The present chapter suggests a potential use of the microbially induced calcite precipitation process with environmental significance as a safe consolidation tool in remediation of defects in building structures and towards enhancement in its service life.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
V. Achal, A. Mukherjee, P.C. Basu, M.S. Reddy, J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 36, 433–438 (2009a)
V. Achal, A. Mukherjee, P.C. Basu, M.S. Reddy, J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 36, 981–988 (2009b)
V. Achal, A. Mukherjee, M.S. Reddy, Ind. Biotechnol. 6, 170–174 (2010)
V. Achal, A. Mukherjee, M.S. Reddy, J. Mater. Civil Eng. 23, 730–734 (2011)
K.L. Bachmeir, A.E. Williams, J.R. Warmington, S.S. Bang, J. Biotechnol. 93, 171–181 (2002)
S.S. Bang, V. Ramakrishnan, in Proceedings of the International Symposium on Industrial Application of Microbial Genomes, Daegu, Korea, 2001, pp. 3–13
S.S. Bang, J.K. Galinat, V. Ramakrishnan, Enzyme Microb. Technol. 28, 404–409 (2001b)
O. Braissant, G. Cailleau, C. Dupraz, E.P. Verrecchia, J. Sediment Res. 73, 485–490 (2003)
R.A. Burne, R.E. Chen, Microbes Infect. 2, 533–542 (2000)
R.A. Burne, R.E. Marquis, FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 193, 1–6 (2000)
M. Camaiti, G. Borselli, U. Matteol, Edilizia 10, 125–134 (1988)
S. Chaturvedi, R. Chandra, V. Rai, Ecol. Eng. 27, 202–207 (2006)
J.L. Day, V. Ramakrishnan, S.S. Bang, in Proceedings of 16th Engineering Mechanics Conference, Seattle (2003)
N. De Belie, W. De Muynck, in Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation and Retrofitting II, ed. by M.G. Alexander et al. (Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton/London, 2009)
N. De Belie, W. De Muynck, in Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation, and Retrofitting (ICCRRR), Cape Town, South Africa, 2008, pp. 291–292
W. De Muynck, N. De Belie, W. Verstraete, in Proceedings of the First International Conference on Self Healing Materials, Noordwijk aan Zee, The Netherlands, 2007
W. De Muynck, D. Debrouwer, N. De Belie, W. Verstraete, Cem. Concr. Res. 38, 1005–1014 (2008)
W. De Muynck, N. De Belie, W. Verstraete, Ecol. Eng. 36, 118–136 (2010)
J. Dick, W. de Windt, B. de Graef, H. Saveyn, P. Van der Meeren, N. De Belie, W. Verstraete, Biodegradation 17, 357–367 (2006)
N.E. Dixon, P.W. Riddles, C. Gazzold, R.L. Blakeley, B. Zerner, Can. J. Biochem. 58, 1335–1344 (1980)
B.E. Dunn, M.G. Grütter, Nature Struct. Biol. 8, 480–482 (2001)
H.L. Ehrlich, Chem. Geol. 132, 5–9 (1996)
H.M. El-Shora, Bot. Bull. Acad. Sinica 42, 251–258 (2001)
C. Ercole, P. Cacchio, A.L. Botta, V. Centi, A. Lepidi, Microsc. Microanal. 13, 42–50 (2007)
B. Friedrich, B. Magasanik, J. Bacteriol. 28, 313–322 (1977)
G.P. Gerilla, K. Teknomo, K. Hokao, Build. Environ. 42, 2778–2784 (2007)
P. Ghosh, S. Mandal, B.D. Chattopadhyay, S. Pal, Cem. Concr. Res. 35, 1980–1983 (2005)
U.K. Gollapudi, C.L. Knutson, S.S. Bang, M.R. Islam, Chemosphere 30, 695–705 (1995)
N. Ha, S.T. Oh, J.Y. Sung, K.A. Cha, M.H. Lee, B.H. Oh, Nature Struct. Biol. 8, 505–509 (2001)
F. Hammes, W. Verstraete, Re/Views Environ. Sci. Biotechnol. 1, 3–7 (2002)
C. Hirayama, M. Sugimura, H. Saito, M. Nakamura, Phytochemistry 53, 352–330 (2000)
D.M. Ivey, M. Ito, R. Gilmour, J. Zemsky, A.A. Guffanti, M.G. Sturr, D.B. Hicks, T.A. Krulwich, in Extremophiles: Microbial Life in Extreme Environments, ed. by K. Horikoshi, W.D. Grant (Wiley-Liss, New York, 1998), p. 181
T. Jahns, J. Bacteriol. 178, 403–409 (1996)
G.E. Jenneman, R.M. Knapp, M.J. Mclnerney, D.E. Menzie, D.E. Revus, Soc. Pet. Eng. J. 24, 33–37 (1984)
C. Jian, V. Ivanov, Civ. Eng. Res. 22, 53–54 (2009)
H.M. Jonkers, E. Schlangen, in Proceedings of First International Conference on Self Healing Materials, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 2007, ed. by A.J.M. Schmets, S. Van der Zwaag, pp. 7
H.M. Jonkers, E. Schlangen, in Tailor Made Concrete Structures, ed. by J.C. Walraven, D. Stoelhorst (Taylor & Francis, London, 2008), pp. 425–430
H.M. Jonkers, A. Thijssen, G. Muyzer, O. Copuroglu, E. Schlangen, Ecol. Eng. 36, 230–235 (2010)
H. Kaltwasser, J. Kramer, W.R. Conger, Arch. Mikrobiol. 81, 178–196 (1972)
A. Kantzas, F.G. Ferris, L. Stehmeier, D.F. Marentette, K.N. Jha, F.M. Mourits, in Proceedings of the CIM Annual Technical Conference, Petroleum Society of CIM, Calgary, Canada, 1992, pp. 1–15
P.S. Kerr, D.G. Blevins, B.J. Rapp, D.D. Randall, Physiol. Plant. 57, 339–345 (1983)
J. Klein, M. Kluge, Biotechnol. Lett. 3, 65–70 (1981)
H. Knorre, W. Krumbein, in Microbial Sediments, ed. by R.E. Riding, S.M. Awramik (Springer, Berlin, 2000), pp. 25–31
H.M. Lappin-Scott, F. Cusack, J.W. Costerton, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 54, 1373–1382 (1988)
G. Le Metayer-Levrel, S. Castanier, G. Orial, J.F. Loubiere, J.P. Perthuisot, Sediment Geol. 126, 25–34 (1999)
A. MacLeod, H.M. Lappin-Scott, J.W. Costerton, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 54, 1365–1372 (1988)
B.J. Marshall, L.J. Barrett, C. Prakash, R.W. McCallun, R.L. Guerrant, Gastroenterology 99, 697–702 (1990)
T.A. McConnaughey, F.F. Whelan, Earth Sci. Rev. 42, 95–117 (1997)
G. Mörsdorf, H. Kaltwasser, Arch. Microbiol. 152, 125–131 (1989)
A. Mukherjee, V. Achal, M.S. Reddy, Ann. INAE Bull. 7, 41–51 (2010a)
A. Mukherjee, V. Achal, M.S. Reddy, in 6th International Engineering and Construction Conference (IECC’6), Housing & Buildings National Research Center (HBRC), Cairo, Egypt, 2010b, 28–30 June 2010
M. Nemati, G. Voordouw, Enz. Microbial Tech. 33, 635–642 (2003)
A. Neville, Mater. Struct. 28, 63–70 (1995)
A. Neville, Properties of Concrete (Pearson Higher Education, Prentice Hall, 1996)
E. Nolan, P.A.M. Basheer, A.E. Long, Constr. Build. Mater. 9, 267–272 (1995)
S.J. Park, Y.M. Park, W.Y. Chun, W.J. Kim, S.Y. Ghim, J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 20, 782–788 (2010)
L.M. Prescott, J.P. Harley, D.A. Klein, Microbiology (Wm. C. Brown Publishers, Dubuque, 1993)
C. Qian, J. Wang, R. Wang, L. Cheng, Mater. Sci. Eng. C 29, 1273–1280 (2009)
C. Qian, R. Wang, L. Cheng, J. Wang, Chin. J. Chem. 28, 847–857 (2010a)
C.X. Qian, Q.F. Pan, R.X. Wang, Sci. China Tech. Sci. 53, 2198–2206 (2010b)
R.A. Raiders, R.M. Knapp, M.J. McInerney, J. Ind. Microbiol. 4, 215–230 (1989)
S.K. Ramachandran, V. Ramakrishnan, S.S. Bang, ACI Mater. J. 98, 3–9 (2001)
V. Ramakrishnan, S.S. Bang, K.S. Deo, in Proceedings of International conference on high performance high strength concrete, Perth, Australia, 1998, pp. 597–618
C. Rodriguez-Navarro, M. Rodriguez-Gallego, K. Ben Chekroun, M.T. Gonzalez-Munoz, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69, 2182–2193 (2003)
J.C. Shaw, B. Bramhill, N.C. Wardlaw, J.W. Costerton, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 49, 693–701 (1985)
M.A. Simon, J.S. Bonner, C.A. Page, R.T. Townsend, D.C. Mueller, C.B. Fuller, R.L. Autenrieth, Ecol. Eng. 22, 263–277 (2004)
S. Stocks-Fischer, J.K. Galinat, S.S. Bang, Soil Biol. Biochem. 31, 1563–1571 (1999)
P. Tiano, Stud. Conserv. 40, 171–176 (1995)
P. Tiano, L. Addadi, S. Weiner, in 7th International Congress on Deterioration and Conservation of Stone, Lisbon, 1992, pp. 1317–1326
P. Tiano, L. Biagiotti, G. Mastromei, J. Microbiol. Methods 36, 138–145 (1999)
B. Tyler, Ann. Rev. Biochem. 47, 1127–1162 (1978)
X. Wang, E. Ruchenstein, Biotechnol. Prog. 9, 661–665 (1993)
L.A. Warren, P.A. Maurice, F.G. Ferris, Geomicrobiol. J. 18, 93–115 (2001)
E. Worrell, L. Price, N. Martin, C. Hendriks, L. Ozawa Meida, Ann. Rev. Energy Environ. 26, 303–329 (2001)
L. Zhong, M.R. Islam, in Proceedings of the 70th Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Dallas, Texas, 1995, pp. 703–715
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Netherlands
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Reddy, M.S., Achal, V., Mukherjee, A. (2012). Microbial Concrete, a Wonder Metabolic Product That Remediates the Defects in Building Structures. In: Satyanarayana, T., Johri, B. (eds) Microorganisms in Environmental Management. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2229-3_24
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2229-3_24
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-2228-6
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-2229-3
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)