A review of microbial precipitation for sustainable construction. (15th September 2015) - Achal, Varenyam
Highlights: Nature has solutions for the dichotomy of building while maintaining the environment. Microbial CaCO3 can plug pores and bind grains to improve durability and strength. Energy consumption and emission of GHG from the microbial process is negligible. Economy, acceptance, recycling, CO2 sequestration, self-healing are important issues. For life cycle analysis, data from industrial scale experiments are essential. Abstract: Rapid urbanisation has accelerated consumption of concrete making it the most consumed artificial material. Present day concrete is one of the largest sources of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission and is not sustainable. Microbial precipitation of CaCO3 is a promising way of emulating nature's sustainable ways. This paper reviews current progress and potential of this technology. Prior research on the modes of application of the technology and consequent gains in strength and durability of construction materials has been summarised. Imperatives for a quantitative estimate of sustainability are identified. Progress necessary for industrial adoption of the technology has been discussed.