Presentation Description : This presentation will provide an overview of the recent research on the EICP technique as a method for rainfall-induced erosion control in environments with sandy soil slopes. A history of the development, bench-scale testing of application methods to soil slopes, and the results of medium-scale erosion testing will be described in detail. Participants will learn about the advantages and opportunities of this novel, bioinspired approach to stormwater erosion control and its outlook for the future.
Full Presentation Abstract: Enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) is a novel bioinspired (abiotic) chemical ground improvement technique in which calcium carbonate is precipitated in the void spaces of a granular soil to produce a weakly cemented soil mass. One application of the EICP technique currently in development seeks to create a cemented soil crust to protect sandy soil slopes from stormwater erosion. This paper provides an overview of the development and optimization of EICP for rainfall-induced erosion control through a review of previous and ongoing research on the topic. Preliminary trials in small field plots conducted on native soil of southern New Mexico have indicated that percolation of the EICP cementation solution by gravity in sloping ground may be challenging when the solution does not percolate into the soil fast enough and partially drains downslope. Reduced percolation of the cementation solution leads to limited crust thickness and weak cementation. To address this shortcoming, the experimental program included bench-scale tests to assess the effectiveness of different EICP application procedures that aimed to increase percolation of the treatment solution in sloped sandy soil. Erosion tests were performed with a calibrated rainfall simulator and a comparison of soil plots with EICP treatment versus non-treatment was made. This study also considered the effect of mineralogical and gradation characteristics of soils on the efficacy of the EICP technique.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this presentation, attendees will:
Describe the mechanisms of the EICP reaction and how it can be utilized for erosion control.
Describe the appropriate settings and conditions under which the EICP technique could be used for erosion control and describe the challenges that have been addressed on field scaling of the technique in past and current research as well as the challenges yet to be addressed.
Describe how the EICP technique is a bioinspired, potentially sustainable alternative to conventional erosion control methods.
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