High strength bio-concrete for the production of building components

Aggregate packing density One-dimensional compression strength tests have shown that in MICP-treated sand, at the micro level, the bonds between the calcium carbonate and the aggregates break first, followed by the destruction of calcium carbonate crystals and ultimately the breakage of aggregates20. Maximizing the aggregate content is therefore crucial for achieving high compressive strength of the biocemented material. Packing density optimization allows to increase the volume ratio of aggregates to voids in the mix, which also brings economical benefits due to the reduced consumption of the cementation solution. The packing density optimization was carried out with six different quartz sand fractions ([0.063–0.25 mm], [0.1–0.4 mm], [0.2–0.6 mm], [0.3–0.8 mm], [0.7–1.25 mm] and [1.0–2.0 mm] with the grain density 2.65 g/cm3, each), obtained from Holcim Kies und Beton GmbH. The Elkem Material Mix Analyser (EMMA) software was used to generate a grading curve with an optimized packing ... Read full article.