MATHEMATICAL MODELING FOR DURABILITY

CHARACTERISTICS OF BACTERIAL CONCRETE

Dr V Srinivasa Reddy1, Dr M V Seshagiri Rao2, S Sushma3

SYNOPSIS: This paper presents the results obtained from the mathematical modeling for the
durability characteristics of bacterial concrete. A mathematical model is employed to predict the
water absorption capacity, porosity, permeability, sorpitivity and acid resistance of the concrete
embedded with bacteria Bacillus Subtilis JC3 of 105 bacterial cells / ml. This model is valid for
various grades of bacterial concrete considered. The mathematical model developed predict the
for water absorption capacity, the rate of permeability, sorpitivity and porosity of different grades
and at various ages. These parameters in concrete structure determine the durability and
performance of concrete. This statistical analysis assures reasonable response prediction when
compared with the experimental results.
KEYWORDS: Bacterial Concrete; Bacillus Subtilis JC3; mathematical modeling; durability;
self-healing.
INTRODUCTION
Durability of concrete can be defined as the capability to perform satisfactorily in the exposure
condition to which it is subjected over an intended period of time with minimum of maintenance
while maintaining its preferred engineering properties. Chemical attack by aggressive water is
one of the factors responsible for damage to concrete. Concrete can also be subjected to attack by
various mineral acids such as sulphuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid.
In natural ground water, only sulphuric acid is likely to be found as a result of the oxidation of
sulphide minerals such as pyrites and marcasite. When concrete comes in contact with such
acidic waters, the calcium hydroxide reacts with the sulphuric acid to form gypsum, which can be
readily washed away. Sulphuric acid is also one of the main acidifying agents of acid rain. Much
higher concentrations can occur in industrial environments. Another source of severe sulphuric
acid attack, which is very common worldwide, is that which generates by bacteria in concrete
sewage systems. The anaerobic bacteria generates hydrogen sulphide gas which can dissolve in
water condensed on the walls of the concrete conduits, pipes, and manholes above the sewage
line level where aerobic bacteria can produce sulphuric acid. Industrial waters contain enough
sulphate ions to potentially damage the Portland cement concrete by forming deleterious soluble
alkali sulphates.
The main objective of the present investigation is to study the durability characteristics of
bacterial concrete and to develop the mathematical model for the durability characteristics. The
11Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, GRIET,Hyderbad-500090, India,
vempada@gmail.com2Professor of Civil Engineering, JNTUHCEH, Hyderabad-500085, India,
rao_vs_meduri@gmail.com
3

PG Student of Civil Engineering, JNTUHCEH, Hyderabad-500085, India, sushma.seesa@gmail.com

durability properties investigated in this study are acid attack, permeability, water absorption
capacity, porosity and sorpitivity.
BACTERIAL CONCRETE
Bacterial concrete is produced by incorporating spores of bacteria of a special kind (Bacillus
Subtilis JC3 of 105 bacterial cells / ml) in the concrete matrix at the stage of preparation of the
concrete by mixing the spore suspension in concrete mixing water. The homogeneously
distributed bacterial spores in hardened concrete matrix gets activated and germinate to become
metabolically active vegetative cells that are able to convert the organic nutrient compounds into
insoluble inorganic calcium carbonate based minerals which will fill up the pores present in the
concrete.
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS
a) Studies on Acid attack resistance
The objective of the present investigations is to study the effect of aggressive chemical
environment on compressive strength loss and weight loss of bacterial and controlled concrete
exposed to different concentrations of 3% and 5% H2SO4.
Test methodology: Concrete cubes of size 100mm x 100mm x 100mm, of ordinary grade (M20),
standard grade (M40) and high strength grade (M80) bacterial and controlled concretes are cast
and cured for 28 days. They are immersed in different concentration of H 2SO4. The percentage
weight loss, percentage compressive strength loss is evaluated at 28, 60 and 120 days of
exposure. Bacterial and controlled concrete cube specimens of different grades are immersed in
acid solutions.
b) Studies on Water permeability
Water absorption, sorptivity and water permeability measurement are some methods to determine
the water penetrability of concrete. A triaxial cell permeability apparatus method used for
determining water permeability of concrete utilizes Darcys Law for steady flow so as to relate
water permeability to the rate of water flow under a pressure head. The major drawbacks
commonly encountered in triaxial cell permeability apparatus are addressed by evaluating the
water permeability as per as per German standard DIN 1048(Part 5):1991 specifications and
MORT&H (Ministry of Road Transport & Highways) 4 th Revision specifications. Permeability
measurement techniques and durability modeling are based on the Darcy equation for
permeability based on measurement of flow rate, and the Valetta equation for permeability based
on measurement of penetration depth and time. The objective of this study is to determine water
permeability of controlled and bacteria incorporated concretes of ordinary (M20), standard
(M40) and high strength (M80) grades as per IS 3085 and IS DIN 1048.
Determination of Water Permeability of Concrete as per IS 3085
Concrete water permeability test is conducted as per IS 3085:1965. Bacteria incorporated
concrete cylindrical specimens and controlled cylindrical concrete specimens of diameter
150mm and height 150mm are casted and cured for 28 days. Then they are loaded in the

specially designed cells and a constant air pressure of 15 kg/cm2 is maintained by using air
compressor throughout the experiment for a given interval of time. The standard test pressure
head to be applied to the water should be 10 kg/cm2. The quantity of percolated water collected is
measured at periodic intervals. In the beginning, the rate of water intake is larger than the rate of
outflow. As the steady state of flow is approached, the two rates tend to become equal and the
outflow reaches maximum and stabilizes. With further passage of time both inflow and outflow
generally register a gradual drop. Permeability test shall be continued for about 100 hours after
the steady state of flow has been reached and the outflow shall be considered as average of all
the outflows measured during the period of 100 hours. Then the coefficient of permeability (k, in
m/sec) based on Darcys law for a falling water head, which is applicable at steady state flow
conditions, can be computed on 28 days aged specimens, using the following formula
K

Q
A T (H / L)

(1)
Where K= Coefficient of permeability in m/sec
Q = Quantity of water collected in milliliters over the entire period of test
T = Time in seconds over which Q is measured = 100x60x60 sec = 360000sec
A = Area of the specimen face in m2 = 0.01767 m2
Water pressure=10 kg/cm2 = 106 Pa
1Pa of water pressure = 0.0001m of pressure head (water at room temperature)
Pressure Head = 100 m (kept constant throughout the test)
H/L = ratio of pressure head to thickness of the specimen both expressed in metre = 100/0.15 =
666.67
Determination of Water Permeability of Concrete as per DIN 1048
The Darcys Law can be applied only for steady state flows. It has been observed by many
investigators that steady state flow conditions could not be achieved in concrete mixes having
low permeability even after subjecting the test samples to pressures as high as 3.5 MPa for a test
period extending up to several weeks. In such cases, some investigators have used the depth of
penetration to determine the water permeability of concrete of age 28 days. In our present study,
for high strength grade concrete ( M80) steady state conditions could not be achieved before 72
hours, so water permeability test, on controlled and bacteria induced specimens, as per German
standard DIN 1048(Part 5):1991 specifications and MORT&H (Ministry of Road transport &
Highways) 4th Revision Cl.1716.5 is carried out on 150mm cylindrical specimens. This test gives
a measure of the resistance of concrete against the penetration of water exerting pressure. For
this test, controlled and bacteria treated specimens are casted and placed inside the permeability
cell, the water is introduced on the top of the cell and the pressure of 0.5 N/mm 2 is applied in
way to force the water to penetrate through the sample. The determination of the permeability is
carried out by measuring the water penetration depth after 96 hrs by a splitting the cylinder
specimens. Water with a color indicator is used, which helps to determine the border of
penetration depth. If water penetrates through to the underside of the specimen, the test may be
terminated and considered as failed. The mean of the maximum depth of penetration from three
specimens thus tested shall be taken as the test result.
c) Studies on Water Absorption Capacity and Porosity

The aim of this study is to determine the total water absorption capacity and measure the volume
of voids present in controlled and bacteria incorporated concretes of ordinary (M20), standard
(M40) and high strength (M80) grades as per ASTM C642-13. The total quantity of water
absorbed is related to the total open porosity, while the kinetics of the process depends
principally on the distribution of the pore sizes. This test also measures the capillary rise of
water, the most common form of liquid water migration into concrete which is inversely
proportional to the diameter of the pores. The smaller the diameter of the pores, the greater will
be the capillary absorption. Absorption is the capacity of a sample to hold water while capillary
is the rate at which the water fills the sample.
Test methodology: Concrete cube samples of size 100 x 100 x 100 mm are casted and cured for
28 days for testing. Dry the samples in the oven for 24 hours at 60C and record their weights.
Repeat the drying process until the mass of the each sample is constant, that is, until the
difference between 2 successive measurements, at an interval of 24 hours, is no more than 0.1%
of the mass of the sample. Once the samples have been completely dried and the constant mass is
recorded (mo), place them in a container or beaker, on a base of glass rods and slowly cover with
de-ionized water until they are totally immersed with about 2 cm of water above them. At
programmed intervals of time, take each sample out of the container, blot it quickly with a damp
cloth to remove surface water, and then record the mass of the wet samples (m i) and the time of
measurement on the data sheet. Re-immerse the samples in water and continue measuring until
the difference in weight between 2 successive measurements at 24-hour intervals is less than 1%
of the amount of water absorbed. At this point, take the samples out of the water and dry them
again in an oven at 60C until they have reached constant mass (as above). Record this value
(md) on the data sheet. At each interval, the quantity of water absorbed with respect to the mass
of the dry sample is expressed as:
Mi% = 100 x (mi - mo)/mo
(2)
Where mi = weight (kg) of the wet sample at time ti; mo = weight (kg) of the dry sample.
Record these values on a data sheet and on a graph as a function of time. The length of the
intervals during the first 24 hours depends on the absorption characteristics of the materials.
Concrete samples should be weighed a few minutes after immersion, and then at increasing
intervals (15 min, 30 min, 1 hour, etc.) for the first 3 hours. All samples should then be weighed
8 hours after the beginning of the test and then at 24- hour intervals until the quantity of water
absorbed in two successive measurements is not more than 1% of the total mass.
For measuring the water absorption capacity and volume of permeable voids, a balance, water
bath, and container suitable for immersing the specimen are needed for performing the test. After
the 100x100x100 mm cube samples were cured for 28 days, three samples were put into an oven
at 60 C for 24 hours. The dried samples were taken from the oven and allowed to cool for about
30 minutes. The samples were then weighed (Ma) using a balance with an accuracy within 0.01
grams. The samples were submerged in the water tank for 24 hours. After 24 hours, the samples
were removed from the water tank and their surface was dried with a paper towel to obtain a
saturated surface dry (SSD) condition. The weight (Mb) of the SSD samples was measured. In
the next step, the samples were put into a water bath with boiling water for 5 hours. Then the
samples were removed from the boiling water and left to cool for 12 hours. Then weights of the
samples were measured (Mc). On the same day, the apparent weight of each sample (Md) was
measured by immersing the samples in the water using a hanging balance. Using the measured
weights (Ma to Md) and the equations from the ASTM C642 standard test, the following
parameters are obtained.

Water Absorption Capacity (WAC) = [(Mb-Ma)/ Ma] x 100

(3)
Volume of permeable voids (VPV) = [(g2 - g1)/ g2] x 100
(4)
where: Ma = mass of oven-dried sample in air, kg; Mb = mass of surface-dry sample in air after
immersion, kg ; Mc = mass of surface-dry sample in air after immersion and boiling, kg and Md =
apparent mass of sample suspended in water, kg.
g1 = dry bulk density (kg/m3) ; g2 = apparent density (kg/m3); = density of water (1000 kg/m3)
Finally total porosity P or percentage of interconnected pore space was calculated using the
formula given below
Total porosity = (Vv/V) = (Wsat- Wdry) / w V
(5)
Where, Vv = volume of voids in cc= Wsat- Wdry in grams;
V = total volume of specimen in cc = 100 x 100 x100 mm3
Where w the unit mass of water (1 g/cc)
Wdry and Wsat denote the weight of the dried and fully saturated samples, respectively.
Porosity of concrete is usually determined by dividing the volume of voids of the sample by its
bulk volume. Bulk volume of each sample is determined using the measured lengths and
diameters of the samples. Volume of voids for each sample is determined by subtracting its grain
volume (the volume of the solid portion of concrete excluding the volume of pores) from its bulk
volume. Total porosity therefore considers both permeable and impermeable voids whereas
apparent porosity considers only impermeable voids.
d) Studies on Sorptivity
The objective of this study is to determine the sorpitivity of controlled and bacteria incorporated
concretes of ordinary (M20), standard (M40) and high strength (M80) grades as per ASTM
C1585. Sorptivity measures the rate of penetration of water into the pores in concrete by
capillary suction. It is also a measure of the capillary forces exerted by the pore structure causing
fluids to be drawn in to the body of the material. It provides a relative measure that combines
pore size diameter and number of pores present. The depth of water absorbed into concrete
increases linearly with respect to the square root of wetting time. In terminology, the sorptivity is
the change in volume of water absorbed per unit area against the square root of time. Water
absorption and sorptivity can suggest useful data regarding the pore structure of the concrete.
Test methodology: Determining the sorptivity of a sample in the lab is a simple, low technology
technique, all that is required, is a scale, a stopwatch and a shallow tub of water. The samples
100 x 50 mm size cylindrical specimens are preconditioned to a certain moisture condition,
either by drying the sample for 7 days in a 50C oven. The sides of the concrete sample are
sealed, typically with electricians tape or by sealant while the suction face and the face opposite
it were left unsealed. Cylindrical concrete specimens were placed on a filtered support (sponge)
so that the water level was 101 mm above the inflow face. The sample is immersed to a depth
of 5-10 mm in the water then the initial mass of the sample and time of start are recorded. The
procedure of recording mass of the sample was repeated, consecutively, at various times such as
15 min, 30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr, 4 hr, 6 hr, 24 hr, 48 hr and 72 hr. The gain in mass per unit area over
the density of water (I) is plotted versus the square root of the elapsed time (t). The slope of the
line of best fit of these points (ignoring the origin) is reported as the sorptivity coefficient (k).
The rate of water absorption or sorptivity (k), is the slope of I- t graph (m / min1/2 or kg/ m2 /
min).
For one dimensional flow, it can be stated that (Hall, 1989):
I = k x t
(6)

Where k is sorptivity coefficient and I = W/(A x d)

W = the amount of water absorbed in kg
A= Area of the c/s of the specimen that is in contact with water (m2)
d= density of the medium in which the specimen was dipped (1000 kg/m 3 in case medium is
water)
Because of small initial surface tension and buoyancy effects, the relationship between
cumulative water absorption (kg/m2) and square root of exposure time (t 0.5) shows deviation
from linearity during first few minutes. Thus, for the calculation of sorptivity coefficient, only
the section of the curves for exposure period from 15 min to 72 hrs, where the curves were
consistently linear, was used for the calculation of sorptivity.
TEST RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The tables 1 and 2 shows the compressive strength, weights, percentage loss of compressive
strengths and percentage weight loss of bacterial and controlled concrete specimens exposed to
3% and 5% concentrations of H2SO4.
Table 1: Compressive strengths and Weights of various grades of controlled and bacterial
concrete specimens exposed to different concentrations of H2SO4.

Grade of
Concrete

Type of
specimen

Controlled
M20
Bacterial
Controlled
M40
Bacterial
Controlled
M80
Bacterial

Acid
Exposure

Compressive
Strength(MPa)
Days of Immersion

Weights (kg)
Days of Immersion

28

60

120

28

60

120

3% H2SO4

28.86

27.99

24.91

2.44

2.38

2.33

5% H2SO4
3% H2SO4
5% H2SO4
3% H2SO4
5% H2SO4
3% H2SO4
5% H2SO4
3% H2SO4

28.11
32.09
31.26
49.11
48.44
60.48
60.09
92.90

27.02
31.59
30.99
48.58
47.86
60.11
59.88
92.16

24.15
29.42
28.89
44.05
42.58
58.92
57.09
90.02

2.39
2.48
2.45
2.51
2.48
2.53
2.52
2.53

2.33
2.46
2.43
2.48
2.45
2.50
2.48
2.51

2.30
2.40
2.35
2.41
2.35
2.44
2.38
2.43

5% H2SO4
3% H2SO4
5% H2SO4

92.66
117.89
116.58

91.95
116.95
115.01

89.18
114.55
113.08

2.52
2.51
2.50

2.49
2.49
2.47

2.41
2.44
2.41

Table 2: % loss of Compressive strength and % loss of Weights of various grades of controlled
and bacterial concrete specimens exposed to different concentrations of H2SO4.

Grade of
Concrete

Type of
specimen

Controlled
M20
Bacterial
Controlled
M40
Bacterial
Controlled
M80
Bacterial

Acid
Exposure

% Loss of Compressive
Strength(MPa)
Days of Immersion

% Loss of Weight
(kg)
Days of Immersion

28

60

120

28

60

120

3% H2SO4

2.34

5.28

15.70

3.17

5.56

7.54

5% H2SO4
3% H2SO4
5% H2SO4
3% H2SO4
5% H2SO4
3% H2SO4
5% H2SO4
3% H2SO4

4.87
3.20
5.59
5.58
6.86
0.95
1.59
0.96

8.56
4.71
6.40
6.59
7.98
1.56
1.93
1.75

18.27
11.25
12.75
15.30
18.13
3.50
6.50
4.03

5.53
1.98
3.54
0.79
1.98
0.39
0.79
0.78

7.91
2.77
4.33
1.98
3.16
1.57
2.36
1.57

9.09
5.14
7.48
4.74
7.11
3.94
6.30
4.71

5% H2SO4
3% H2SO4
5% H2SO4

1.22
1.10
2.20

1.97
1.89
3.52

4.93
3.90
5.13

0.79
1.57
1.96

1.97
2.35
3.14

5.12
4.31
5.49

From test results of the specimens subjected to various concentrations of H 2SO4. The following
observations are derived:
1. In specimens exposed to H2SO4 acid attack showed no noticeable change in color but surface
becomes more brittle and denseness is greatly reduced.
2. When H2SO4 comes in contact with concrete, it reacts with Ca (OH)2 and calcium aluminate
hydrate to form gypsum and ettringite, leading to an increase in initial weight in early days of
exposure. The solubility of the gypsum so formed is low and therefore its dissolution does not
take place. The formation of unstable ettringite causes the concrete matrix to be more porous and
susceptible to the acid attack through the capillary pores. On the other hand, these reaction
products have very low structural stability in comparison to the reactants they replace. They
involve an increase in volume and therefore occupy the space available as voids in concrete,
leading to an increase in initial weight. However, after some time, the continued expansion
causes cracking that ultimately leads to peeling off of the surface layer of concrete, as indicated
by the mass loss of concrete that starts after approximately 28 days of exposure to the sulfuric
acid solution. Since in H2SO4 the reaction products formed are not soluble but are expansive in
nature, which therefore can cause micro cracking, so in H 2SO4 there will be high loss of
strength and but lesser mass loss.
3. The rate of decrease in compressive strength also gradually increases with increase in the
concentration of the H2SO4. Sulphuric acid is very damaging to concrete as it combines an acid

attack and sulphate attack. The percentage loss of compressive strength and weight in H 2SO4
solution is higher.
4. From the durability studies carried out on controlled and bacteria incorporated concretes of M20,
M40 and M80 grades revealed that the percentage loss of compressive strengths and percentage
loss of weights are very less in all grades of bacteria incorporated concretes when exposed up to
120 days to 3% and 5% concentrations of H 2SO4 acid which confirms that the bacteria
incorporated concrete resistance to acid attack deterioration is better than conventional concrete
due to the formation of highly impermeable calcite in the pores of the concrete which acts as a
microbial sealant.
5. So it can be inferred that Bacteria incorporated concrete is more durable and less attacked than
controlled concrete at all the ages and can perform better in severe aggressive environments due
to its high impermeability and alkalinity of concrete mass.
The tables 3 and 4 presents the coefficients of permeability values determined as per IS 3085 and
DIN 1048 for all grades of controlled and bacteria incorporated concrete specimens of age 28
days.
Table 3: Coefficients of Permeability for controlled and bacteria incorporated concrete specimens
of age 28 days
Grade of Type of specimen Pressure head
Concrete
H (m)

M 20
M 40
M 80

Quantity of water
collected
(ml)

Coefficient of permeability % Reduction

x 10-9 m/sec

Controlled
Bacteria treated
Controlled
Bacteria treated
Controlled

100
100
100
100
100

9822
1157
7800
1039
2850

2.31
0.27
1.84
0.25
0.67

88
86
-

Bacteria treated

100

991

0.23

66

Table 4: Depth of Penetration for controlled and bacteria treated concrete specimens of age 28
days
Grade of
Concrete
M 20
M 40
M 80

Type of specimen

Depth of Water Penetration

(mm)

Requirement as per
MORT&H 4th Revision
Clause 1716.5

Controlled
Bacteria treated
Controlled
Bacteria treated
Controlled
Bacteria treated

23
5
17
4
5
1

25mm (Maximum
permissible limit

2.5
f(x) = - 0.82x + 3.25
R = 0.94
2
Control Concrete

Linear (Control Concrete)

1.5

Coefficient of permeability
x 10-9 m/sec
1
Bacterial Concrete

Linear (Bacterial Concrete)

0.5

f(x) = - 0.02x + 0.29

R = 1
1
2
3

Fig 1: Shows the variation of coefficients of permeability in bacterial concrete and controlled
concrete for various grades.
25
f(x) = - 9x + 33
R = 0.96
20
Control Concrete

Linear (Control Concrete)

15

Depth of Water Penetration

(mm)
10
Bacterial Concrete

Linear (Bacterial Concrete)

5

f(x) = - 2x + 7.33
R = 0.92

Fig 2: Shows the variation of Depth of water penetration in bacterial concrete and controlled
concrete for various grades

From the presented test results, it was observed that significantly lower water permeability is
observed in bacteria induced specimens than controlled specimens under 100m water head.
Reduction in water permeability of specimens treated with bacteria is nearly 88%, 86% and 66%
in M20, M40 and M80 grade concretes respectively, of age 28days. It shows that all grades of
bacteria incorporated concretes are less permeable than the controlled concretes the reason
attributed is that the bacteria incorporated concretes has improved pore structure due to
precipitation of calcite crystals subsequently reduction in the porosity of the concrete which
substantially reduces the permeability of the concrete. There were no signs of physical water
transmission through high strength grade (M80) of bacteria induced concrete specimens under
100 meters water head for first 72 hrs because the water permeability in these concretes was very
low. At the end of the test, the quantity of water collected is relatively very less. So it is
understood that water permeability test as per IS 3085 is not given correct results for high
strength grades (M80). To determine water permeability of high strength grades, water
penetration depth in measured at the end of 24 hrs, as per DIN 1048, by splitting the concrete
cylinder samples. The main idea of this test as per DIN 1048 is that water penetrates the concrete
specimens under a set pressure for a set period of time. So depths of penetration are measured to
evaluate the water impermeability of all grades of controlled and bacteria incorporated concretes.
The depth of water penetration measured in bacteria induced specimens when tested in DIN 1048
water permeability tests corresponds to the very low permeability. Depth of penetration is
reduced in bacteria built-in specimens by nearly 76% in all the grades of concrete. In the case of
Bacteria incorporated concrete, blocking of the pores due to calcite mineral precipitates reduces
the water permeability so the depth of penetration is very low when compared with water
penetration depths in controlled concrete. The figure 3 depicts the amount of water absorption
with time. Table 5 give the water absorption capacity (WAC) and volume of permeable voids of
all grades of controlled and bacteria incorporated concrete specimens.
6
5

M20 Controlled

4
M40 Controlled

Amount of water absorbed (M I %)

M80 Controlled

3
2

M20 Bacterial

1
M40 Bacterial

M80 Bacterial

time (min)

Fig 3: Plot showing amount of water absorption with time for different grades of controlled and
bacterial specimens
Table 5: Water Absorption Capacity (WAC), Volume of Permeable Voids and porosity of
controlled and bacteria incorporated concrete specimens for different grades
Controlled Concrete

Bacteria incorporated concrete

M20

M40

M80

M20

M40

M80

Water Absorption Capacity

(WAC) (%)

5.62

2.79

1.52

2.79

1.19

0.38

Volume of permeable voids

(VPV) (%)

12

0.14

0.07

0.03

0.04

0.03

0.02

72%

57%

34%

Porosity, P
at 28 days
Decrease in
Porosity

6
f(x) = - 2.05x + 7.41
R = 0.95

5
Control Concrete

Linear
4 (Control Concrete )

Water Absorption Capacity (WAC) (%) 3

Bacterial Concrete

f(x) = - 1.21x + 3.86

R = 0.97
2
Linear (Bacterial Concrete)
1
0

Fig 4: Shows the variation of Water Absorption Capacity in bacterial concrete and controlled
concrete for various grades

0.16
0.14
f(x) = - 0.06x + 0.19
R = 0.98

0.12
Control Concrete
0.1
Porosity

Linear (Control Concrete)

0.08
0.06
Bacterial Concrete
0.04

Linear (Bacterial Concrete)

f(x) = - 0.01x + 0.05
R = 1

0.02
0

Fig 5: Shows the variation of Porosity in bacterial concrete and controlled concrete for various
grades
Concrete specimens incorporated with bacteria showed significantly less water absorption
capacity compared to controlled specimens. This decrease in water absorption capacity of all
grades of bacteria incorporated concretes is attributed to the reduction of pores in the concrete.
Water Absorption Capacity (WAC) of bacteria incorporated concrete specimens is reduced by
nearly 50 to 75% for low to high grade concretes as compared with WAC of controlled concrete
specimens due to pore plugging with bacteria produced calcite minerals thereby modifying the
pore structure of the cement sand matrix. The absorption characteristics indirectly represent the
volume of pores and their connectivity. Porosity of concrete specimens is reduced by nearly 34 73% with induction of bacteria into concrete for high to low grades. The possible reason for this
is calcite mineral precipitation in the pores reduced the average pore radius of concrete. This
means that the time taken for the water to rise by capillary action in bacteria incorporated
concrete is longer and thus proved that these bacteria induced concretes are less porous
compared to the control concrete. The rate of water absorbed into concrete through the pores
gives important information about the microstructure and permeability characteristics of
concrete. Volume of permeable voids present in bacteria incorporated concrete is less by 50-65 %
than in controlled specimens.

Table 6: Sorptivity Coefficients of controlled and bacteria incorporated concrete specimens of

different grades

Controlled Concrete
Bacteria incorporated
concrete

Grade of the Concrete

Sorptivity Coefficient (k) x 10-3

m/min0.5

Percentage reduction

M20
M40
M80
M20
M40
M80

0.124
0.092
0.055
0.091
0.071
0.051

26.6
22.8
9.3

0.14
0.12

Control Concrete

f(x) = - 0.03x + 0.16

R = 1

0.1

Linear (Control Concrete)

f(x) = - 0.02x + 0.11
R = 1

0.08
Sorptivity Coefficient (k) x 10-3
m/min0.5

Bacterial Concrete

0.06
0.04

Linear (Bacterial Concrete)

0.02
0
0

Fig 6: Shows the variation of Sorptivity in bacterial concrete and controlled concrete for various
grades
From table 6 it is apparent that sorptivity decreases systematically for bacteria treated concrete
specimens for all grades. The sorptivity coefficients of bacteria incorporated concrete specimens
are low for all grades when compared with corresponding grades of controlled concrete
specimens because the pores in the bulk paste or in the interfaces between aggregate and cement
paste is filled by the mineral precipitation hence, the capillary pores are reduced. The capillary
absorption coefficient (k) is greatly influenced by the addition of microorganisms to the concrete.
The reduction in capillary due to induction of bacteria into concrete specimens is between 9 to 27
% for high to low grades. The water absorption, capillary and porosity characteristics indirectly
reflect the durability performance of the bacteria incorporated concrete.

MATHEMATICAL MODELLING
A mathematical model is a description of a system using mathematical concepts and language. A
Simple linear Regression model is adopted to measure the durability characteristics of bacterial
concrete based on the grade of the concrete. The following Simple linear regression
mathematical models are proposed to predict the durability characteristics of bacterial concrete
for various grades of the concrete:
Table 7: Mathematical models for various durability characteristics of Bacterial concrete and
Control concretes
Durability Characteristic
Sorptivity Coefficient (k) x 10-3
m/min0.5
Porosity
Water Absorption Capacity (WAC)
Coefficient of permeability
x 10-9 m/sec
Depth of Water Penetration (mm)

Control Concrete
y = -0.0345x + 0.1593
R = 0.9983
y = -0.055x + 0.19
R = 0.9758
y = -2.05x + 7.41
R = 0.954
y = -0.82x + 3.2467
R = 0.9427
y = -9x + 33
R = 0.9643

Bacterial Concrete
y = -0.02x + 0.111
R = 1
y = -0.01x + 0.05
R = 1
y = -1.205x + 3.8633
R = 0.9654
y = -0.02x + 0.29
R = 1
y = -9x + 33
R = 0.9643

The variations between the predicted and experimental results is very less validating the above
proposed models for predicting durability characteristics for various grades of bacterial concrete.
Conclusions
Based on the investigations carried out, the following conclusions can be drawn:
1. The bacteria induction into concrete enhances the resistance to acid attack deterioration
due to formation of bacteria precipitated impermeable calcite crystals which will plug the
pores present in the concrete.
2. The investigations shows that bacteria incorporated concretes were less permeable than
the control concretes the reason is that the bacteria incorporated concrete has improved
pore structure due to precipitation of calcite crystals subsequently reduction in the
porosity of the concrete which substantially reduces the permeability of the concrete.
3. It can concluded that all grades of bacteria incorporated concretes have less water
absorption capacity compared to corresponding grades of controlled concrete specimens
due to pore plugging with bacteria produced calcite minerals. This reduction of porosity
in bacteria incorporated concretes indicates the presence of less volume of permeable
voids. Water Absorption Capacity (WAC) of bacteria incorporated concrete specimens is
reduced as compared in controlled concrete specimens inferring the reduced extent of
volume of pores and their connectivity in bacteria induced concrete.
4. Volume of permeable pores (VPV) of bacteria incorporated concrete specimens are
reduced since calcite mineral precipitation in the pores reduced the average pore radius of
concrete by inducing pore discontinuity in the hydrated cement paste. This means that the

time taken for the water to rise by capillary action in bacteria incorporated concrete are
longer and thus proved that these concrete are less porous compared to the conventional
concrete.
5. The mathematical model predicted accurate results when compared with experimental
results.
REFERENCES
1. De Muynck, W., Debrouwer, D., De Belie, N., Verstraete, W., 2008, Bacterial carbonate
precipitation improves the durability of cementitious materials, Cem. Concr. Res. 38 (7),
pp.10051014.
2.
Henk M Jonkers, Arjan Thijssen, Gerard Muyzer, Oguzhan Copuroglu, Erik Schlangen, 2010,
Application of bacteria as self-healing agent for the development of sustainable concrete,
Ecological Engineering Volume 36(2010), pp.230-235.
3. Navneet Chahal, Rafat Siddique, 2013, Permeation properties of concrete made with fly ash
and silica fume: Influence of ureolytic bacteria, Construction and Building Materials, Volume
49 (2013), pp. 161174.
4.
Nemati, M., Voordouw, G., 2003, Modification of porous media permeability, using calcium
carbonate produced enzymatically in situ. Enzyme Microb. Technol. 33 (5), pp.635642.
5. Ramakrishnan V, 2007, Performance characteristics of bacterial concrete-a smart biomaterial,
Proceedings of the First International Conference on Recent Advances in Concrete Technology,
Washington, DC, 2007, pp.6778.
6. Varenyam Achal, Abhijeet Mukerjee, M Sudhakara Reddy, 2013, Biogenic treatment improves
the durability and remediates the cracks of concrete structures, Construction and Building
Materials (2013), Volume 48, pp.15.
7. Varenyam Achal, Xiangliang Pan, Nilufer Ozyurt, 2010, Improved strength and durability of
fly ash-amended concrete by microbial calcite precipitation, Ecological Engineering (2010),
Volume 37, pp.554-559.
8. Wiktor V and Jonkers H M, 2011, Development of bacteria-based systems to increase concrete
structures durability, International Workshop on Structural Life Management of Underground
Structures, 2011, Daejon, South-Korea, pp.51-56.
9. Wiktor V and Jonkers H M, 2012, The potential of bacteria-based repair system to increase the
durability of repaired concrete structures, Microstructural-related durability of cementitious
composites, RILEM Publication S.A.R.L, 2012, Amsterdam, pp.169-175.
10. Padmanaban.I., Kandasamy S. Natesan S.C Statistical Modelling of High and Low Volume of
Fly ash in Concrete, International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, Vol. 4 No 7, (2009),
pp.1161-1167.