An Experimental Study on Properties of Microbial Blended Concrete

Abstract

Several efforts are being made by researchers to turn concrete into a more sustainable material. Various research are being carried out to substitute cement in concrete, either whole or in part. The current work uses mineral admixtures like metakaolin and GGBS (blended concrete) to partially substitute cement in concrete. Concrete prone to cracking due to structural and Non-structural conditions. All kinds of fissures have the potential to harm concrete by letting water and other substances pass through them, which weakens and distorts the material while also compromising the reinforcing. To repair the concrete cracks, a certain type of treatment and routine upkeep are required, and they will be very costly. So, the current research is to study the impact of Bacteria (microbes) on crack healing as well as on properties of blended concrete. Different mixes of M25-grade concrete were done by using M-sand  as fine aggregate to obtain the optimum percentage of GGBS used as supplementary cementitious material (0, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%), and the same percentage was used in blended concrete, which included metakaolin at different percentages (0, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%).Among different mixes, the proportions of blended concrete with enhanced mechanical properties were considered, and bacteria were induced at a constant percentage in that mix. The results indicated that the microbial blended concrete mix has significantly improved mechanical and durability properties, when compared to conventional and blended concrete mixes.