scholarly journals Biocementation Influence on Flexural Strength and Chloride Ingress by Lysinibacillus sphaericus and Bacillus megaterium in Mortar Structures

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Daniel Karanja Mutitu ◽  
Jackson Muthengia Wachira ◽  
Romano Mwirichia ◽  
Joseph Karanja Thiong’o ◽  
Onesmus Mulwa Munyao ◽  
...  

The concrete/mortar durability performance depends mainly on the environmental conditions, the microstructures, and its chemistry. Cement structures are subject to deterioration by the ingress of aggressive media. This study focused on the effects of Bacillus megaterium and Lysinibacillus sphaericus on flexural strength and chloride ingress in mortar prisms. Microbial solutions with a concentration of 1.0 × 107 cells/ml were mixed with ordinary Portland cement (OPC 42.5 N) to make mortar prisms at a water/cement ratio of 0.5. Four mortar categories were obtained from each bacterium based on mix and curing solution. Mortar prisms of 160 mm × 40 mm × 40 mm were used in this study. Flexural strength across all mortar categories was determined at the 14th, 28th, and 56th day of curing. Mortars prepared and cured using bacterial solution across all curing ages exhibited the highest flexural strength as well as the highest percent flexural strength gain. Lysinibacillus sphaericus mortars across all mortar categories showed higher flexural strength and percent flexural strength gain than Bacillus megaterium mortars. The highest percent flexural strength gain of 33.3% and 37.0% was exhibited by the 28th and 56th day of curing, respectively. The mortars were subjected to laboratory prepared 3.5% by mass of sodium chloride solution under the accelerated ion migration test method for thirty-six hours using a 12 V Direct Current power source after their 28th day of curing. After subjecting the mortar cubes to Cl media, their core powder was analyzed for Cl content. From these results, the apparent diffusion coefficient, Dapp, was approximated from solutions to Fick’s 2nd Law using the error function. Bacillus megaterium mortars across all mortar categories showed lower apparent diffusion coefficient values with the lowest being 2.6456 × 10–10 while the highest value for Lysinibacillus sphaericus mortars was 2.8005 × 10–10. Both of the test bacteria lowered the ordinary Portland cement Cl-ingress but Bacillus megaterium was significantly more effective than Lysinibacillus sphaericus in inhibition.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Mwiti Marangu ◽  
Joseph Karanja Thiong’o ◽  
Jackson Muthengia Wachira

Chloride-laden environments pose serious durability concerns in cement based materials. This paper presents the findings of chloride ingress in chemically activated calcined Clay-Ordinary Portland Cement blended mortars. Results are also presented for compressive strength development and porosity tests. Sampled clays were incinerated at a temperature of 800°C for 4 hours. The resultant calcined clay was blended with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) at replacement level of 35% by mass of OPC to make test cement labeled PCC35. Mortar prisms measuring 40 mm × 40 mm × 160 mm were cast using PCC35 with 0.5 M Na2SO4 solution as a chemical activator instead of water. Compressive strength was determined at 28th day of curing. As a control, OPC, Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), and PCC35 were similarly investigated without use of activator. After the 28th day of curing, mortar specimens were subjected to accelerated chloride ingress, porosity, compressive strength tests, and chloride profiling. Subsequently, apparent diffusion coefficients (Dapp) were estimated from solutions to Fick’s second law of diffusion. Compressive strength increased after exposure to the chloride rich media in all cement categories. Chemically activated PCC35 exhibited higher compressive strength compared to nonactivated PCC35. However, chemically activated PCC35 had the least gain in compressive strength, lower porosity, and lower chloride ingress in terms of Dapp, compared to OPC, PPC, and nonactivated PCC35.


2020 ◽  
Vol 133 (2) ◽  
pp. 573-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Willsey ◽  
Kelly L. Collins ◽  
Erin C. Conrad ◽  
Heather A. Chubb ◽  
Parag G. Patil

OBJECTIVETrigeminal neuralgia (TN) is an uncommon idiopathic facial pain syndrome. To assist in diagnosis, treatment, and research, TN is often classified as type 1 (TN1) when pain is primarily paroxysmal and episodic or type 2 (TN2) when pain is primarily constant in character. Recently, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has revealed microstructural changes in the symptomatic trigeminal root and root entry zone of patients with unilateral TN. In this study, the authors explored the differences in DTI parameters between subcategories of TN, specifically TN1 and TN2, in the pontine segment of the trigeminal tract.METHODSThe authors enrolled 8 patients with unilateral TN1, 7 patients with unilateral TN2, and 23 asymptomatic controls. Patients underwent DTI with parameter measurements in a region of interest within the pontine segment of the trigeminal tract. DTI parameters were compared between groups.RESULTSIn the pontine segment, the radial diffusivity (p = 0.0049) and apparent diffusion coefficient (p = 0.023) values in TN1 patients were increased compared to the values in TN2 patients and controls. The DTI measures in TN2 were not statistically significant from those in controls. When comparing the symptomatic to asymptomatic sides in TN1 patients, radial diffusivity was increased (p = 0.025) and fractional anisotropy was decreased (p = 0.044) in the symptomatic sides. The apparent diffusion coefficient was increased, with a trend toward statistical significance (p = 0.066).CONCLUSIONSNoninvasive DTI analysis of patients with TN may lead to improved diagnosis of TN subtypes (e.g., TN1 and TN2) and improve patient selection for surgical intervention. DTI measurements may also provide insights into prognosis after intervention, as TN1 patients are known to have better surgical outcomes than TN2 patients.


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