Browsing by Author "Kirisits, M. J."

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

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Biomineralization in self-healing cement-based materials: investigating the temporal evolution of microbial metabolic state and material porosity
(American Society of Civil Engineers, 2017) Bundur, Zeynep Başaran; Bae, S.; Kirisits, M. J.; Douglas Ferron, R.; Civil Engineering; BUNDUR, Zeynep Başaran
The potential for self-healing of concrete via biomineralization processes in which microorganisms influence mineral precipitation is promising. To embed microorganisms within a cement-based material, key challenges are to find a microorganism that can tolerate the highly alkaline conditions, survive the mixing process, and remain viable with limited access to nutrients. The focus of this work is to determine the metabolic state of unencapsulated Sporosarcina pasteurii, inoculated vegetatively, in a cement-based matrix over time and to examine its ability to remediate internal cracks and reduce porosity. Viable S. pasteurii was found in hardened mortar samples that were as old as 330 days, and 48% of the viable cells detected were vegetative. A greater fraction of the inoculated cells remained viable in mortar as compared to cement paste, which is promising because mortar is a better representation of the composite nature of concrete than cement paste. Furthermore, as compared to neat paste and neat mortar, addition of the vegetative cell culture to bacterial paste and bacterial mortar resulted in reduced porosity. Bacterial mortar also demonstrated increased strength recovery as compared to neat mortar. The reduction in porosity and increase in mechanical regains demonstrated by the bacterial mortar suggest improved durability and service life for bioconcrete as compared to traditional concrete.
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Biomineralized cement-based materials: impact of inoculating vegetative bacterial cells on hydration and strength
(Elsevier, 2015-01) Bundur, Zeynep Başaran; Kirisits, M. J.; Ferron, R. D.; Civil Engineering; BUNDUR, Zeynep Başaran
Biomineralization in cement-based materials has become a point of interest in recent years due to the possibility that such an approach could be used to develop a self-healing cement-based system. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of vegetative cells of Sporosarcina pasteurii on the hydration kinetics and compressive strength of cement-based materials. The hydration kinetics were greatly influenced when a bacterial solution consisting of urea-yeast extract nutrient medium and vegetative cells was used to prepare bacterial cement pastes; specifically, severe retardation was observed. In addition, an increase in calcium carbonate precipitation, particularly calcite, occurred within the bacterial pastes. Furthermore, after the first day of hydration, the bacterial mortar displayed compressive strength that was similar to or greater than the compressive strength of the neat mortar.
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Use of pre-wetted lightweight fine expanded shale aggregates as internal nutrient reservoirs for microorganisms in bio-mineralized mortar
(Elsevier, 2017-11) Bundur, Zeynep Başaran; Kirisits, M. J.; Ferron, R. D.; Civil Engineering; BUNDUR, Zeynep Başaran
Interest in developing bio-based self-healing cement-based materials has gained broader attention in the concrete community. One of challenges in developing bio-based self-healing cement-based materials is that cell death or insufficient metabolic activity might occur when the cells are inoculated to the cement paste. This paper investigates the use of internal nutrient reservoirs via pre-wetted lightweight fine expanded shale aggregates to improve cell viability in mortar. Incorporation of internal nutrient reservoirs resulted in an increase in the vegetative cells remaining without any substantial loss in strength. These results pave the way to develop a self-healing and self-curing concrete with an extended service life.