Model Test of MICP Reinforced Siliceous Sea Sand under Natural Seawater Conditions

A microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) grouting reinforcement system was designed and used to perform model tests on MICP reinforced siliceous sea sand under natural seawater conditions. The test results indicated that sand column Φ25×50 cm in natural seawater environment could be solidified by MICP technology, and the sand column was hard. The non-destructive ultrasonic testing revealed that the middle part of the sand column had the highest density after reinforcement, followed by the lower part, and the upper part was the smallest, and the average values of their axial direction wave velocity were 2.993 km/s, 2.877 km/s, and 2.867 km/s, respectively. The average unconfined compressive strength of the sand column core sample was 13.72 MPa, which was 44.88% higher than that of the material size. The average dry density of the sand column was 1.82 g/cm³, which was 18.18% higher compared to the loose sand sample. The permeability coefficient of the sand column was 4.48E-04 cm/s, two orders of magnitude lower than the original specimen. The deposits formed by MICP technology consisted of cubic and columnar calcite, and needle clusters and irregularly flocculent magnesium calcite. Mineral crystals were mainly distributed on the surface of sand particles and between particles, thus playing a cementation role. This study provides a theoretical basis and empirical data to support the improvement of marine loose sandy foundation soils using MICP.