Microbial carbonate precipitation in construction materials: A review

Evidence of microbial involvement in carbonate precipitation has led to the exploration of this process in the field of construction materials. One of the first patented applications concerned the protection of ornamental stone by means of a microbially deposited carbonate layer, i.e. biodeposition. The promising results of this technique encouraged different research groups to evaluate alternative approaches, each group commenting on the original patent and promoting its bacterial strain or method as the best performing. The goal of this review is to provide an in-depth comparison of these different approaches. Special attention was paid to the research background that could account for the choice of the microorganism and the metabolic pathway proposed. In addition, evaluation of the various methodologies allowed for a clear interpretation of the differences observed in effectiveness. Furthermore, recommendations to improve the in situ feasibility of the biodeposition method are postulated. In the second part of this paper, the use of microbially induced carbonates as a binder material, i.e. biocementation, is discussed. Bacteria have been added to concrete for the improvement of compressive strength and the remediation of cracks. Current studies are evaluating the potential of bacteria as self-healing agents for the autonomous decrease of permeability of concrete upon crack formation.