Coastal dunes are formed when sand is transported and deposited by the wind. It plays a role in ecosystem conservation and natural disaster protection. Coastal dunes have a self-recovering ability. Nevertheless, coastal dune erosion occurs every year....
Coastal dunes are formed when sand is transported and deposited by the wind. It plays a role in ecosystem conservation and natural disaster protection. Coastal dunes have a self-recovering ability. Nevertheless, coastal dune erosion occurs every year.Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology is an eco-friendly method that improves the stiffness and strength of the ground. In this thesis, the applicability of MICP to coastal dunes was studied. Considering coastal conditions, the bacterial activity of MICP to coastal sand having seawater as a solvent for the chemical solution was investigated. Thereby, various soil column tests were performed and the strength of MICP-treated sand was evaluated. Afterwards, wind tunnel tests were conducted to simulate the erosion behavior of coastal dunes. Untreated sand and MICP-treated sand were prepared and erosion parameters were assessed. Surface changes before and after erosion were observed using a 3D scanner, and erosion behavior and erodibility parameters were analyzed. The carbonate precipitation levels in MICP-treated sands were quantified through subsequent hydrochloric acid washing. The soil improvement efficiency through surface percolation of MICP solution in sand in terms of unconfined compressive strength was evaluated using a needle penetrometer. Furthermore, mineralogical changes in sand after MICP treatments using different solvents were also observed through microstructural analysis. The results indicate that, in comparison with deionized water, seawater slows down the rate of urea hydrolysis. Strength improvement of the MICP treated sand surfaces was effectively evaluated through needle penetration tests. The level of cementation and soil’s strength increase with the number of MICP treatments, which leads to improved resistance against erosion by wind. A correction coefficient was proposed in this study to correlate wind-induced shear stress and water-induced shear stress. This study advocates sufficient possibility of the MICP application for protecting coastal dunes.