Band gap characteristics of new composite multiple locally resonant phononic crystal metamaterial.

Locally resonant phononic crystal (LRPC) exhibit elastic wave band gap characteristics within a specific low-frequency range, but their band gap width is relatively narrow, which has certain limitations in practical engineering applications. In order to open a lower frequency band gap and broaden the band gap range, this paper proposes a new composite multiple locally resonant phononic crystal (CMLRPC). Firstly, the band structure of the CMLRPC is calculated by using the finite element method, and then the formation mechanism of the band gap of the CMLRPC is studied by analyzing its vibration mode, and the band gap width is expanded by adjusting the size of the single primitive cell in the supercell model of the CMLRPC. Secondly, an equivalent mass-spring system model for CMLRPC is established to calculate the starting frequency and cut-off frequency of the band gap, and the calculated results are in good agreement with the finite element calculation. Finally, the frequency response function of the CMLRPC is calculated and its attenuation characteristics are analyzed. Within the band gap frequency range, the attenuation values of the CMLRPC are mostly above 20 dB, indicating a good attenuation effect. Compared with traditional LRPC, this new CMLRPC opens multiple band gaps in the frequency range of 200 Hz, with a wider band gap width and better attenuation effect. In addition, considering both the contact between single primitive cell and the adjustment of their spacing in the supercell model of the CMLRPC, lower and wider band gap can be obtained. The research results of this paper provide a new design idea and method for obtaining low-frequency band gap in LRPC, and can provide reference for the design of vibration reduction and isolation structures in the field of low-frequency vibration control.

State-of-the-art review of soil erosion control by MICP and EICP techniques: Problems, applications, and prospects.

In recent years, the application of microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) and enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) techniques have been extensively studied to mitigate soil erosion, yielding substantial achievements in this regard. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the recent progress in erosion control by MICP and EICP techniques. To further discuss the effectiveness of erosion mitigation in-depth, the estimation methods and characterization of erosion resistance were initially compiled. Moreover, factors affecting the erosion resistance of MICP/EICP-treated soil were expounded, spanning from soil properties to treatment protocols and environmental conditions. The development of optimization and upscaling in erosion mitigation via MICP/EICP was also included in this review. In addition, this review discussed the limitations and correspondingly proposed prospective applications of erosion control via the MICP/EICP approach. The current review presents up-to-date information on the research activities for improving erosion resistance by MICP/EICP, aiming at providing insights for interdisciplinary researchers and guidance for promoting this method to further applications in erosion mitigation.

Research on freeze-thaw and dry-wet durability of enzymatic calcification for surface protection.

The enzymatically induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) technique is currently studied for dust control because of the formation of cemented crust layer. In the present study, polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) was used with EICP together as the EICP-PVAc treatment to solidify dust soils. In addition, several treated dust soil areas always experience repeated freeze-thaw (FT) or dry-wet (DW) cycles, both of which result in the damage of structure. Therefore, the FT cycle test and the DW cycle test were conducted to study the durability of EICP-PVAc treatment. Results showed that both FT cycles and DW cycles affected the EICP-PVAc-treated dust soils. The wind-erosion resistance and rainfall-erosion resistance were impaired, and the surface strength decreased. However, the decreasing range resulted from the FT cycle was smaller than the decreasing range resulted from the DW cycle. It indicated the EICP-PVAc-treated dust soils had better FT durability, but the DW durability was worse. Moreover, a field test was used to study the durability of application of EICP-PVAc treatment in practical field test site. Based on the surface pattern observation after 9 months, the grasses in the treated area are in good growth condition; however, few grasses grew in the untreated area. The field test demonstrated that the combined EICP-PVAc and grass seeds treatment can ensure the long-term solidification effect and durability. The results lay a solid foundation for the applications of EICP-PVAc treatment to solidify dust soils for dust control.

Surface rainfall erosion resistance and freeze-thaw durability of bio-cemented and polymer-modified loess slopes.

Microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) has been shown to mitigate sand erosion; however, few studies have applied MICP on loess soils. In this study, polyacrylamide (PAM) was added to the cementation solution, and combined MICP-PAM treatment was applied to improve the surface erosion resistance of loess-slopes. The freeze-thaw (FT) durability of MICP-PAM treated loess slopes was also studied. The obtained results showed that MICP-PAM treatment improved erosion resistance and addition of 1.5 g/L PAM achieved the best erosion control and highest surface strength. The high erosion resistance of MICP-PAM treated slopes could be attributed to the stable spatial structure of precipitation, and PAM addition conveyed stronger resistance to tension or shear force. With increasing number of FT cycles, the surface strength of MICP-PAM treated loess slopes decreased; however, slopes subjected to 12 FT cycles still only lost little soil. In MICP-PAM treated loess slopes, cracks and pores evolved with increasing number of FT cycles. With increasing number of FT cycles, porosity and fractal dimension increased, pore ellipticity decreased slightly, and the percentage of various pores changed slightly. The number of FT cycles had less effect on MICP-PAM treated loess slopes than on untreated slopes. MICP-PAM treatment significantly mitigated surface erosion of loess-slopes and improved FT weathering resistance, thus presenting promising potential for application in the field. In addition, based on the linear correlations between surface strength and rainfall-erosion resistance, surface strength could be measured to evaluate the rainfall-erosion resistance for MICP-PAM treated slopes in practical engineering applications.

Enhanced rainfall erosion durability of enzymatically induced carbonate precipitation for dust control.

Globally, most cities are facing severe challenges caused by dust pollution. Recently, the significant dust control application potential of the environmentally friendly enzymatically induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) has been demonstrated. However, repeated rainfall erosion negatively affects the long-term durability of several EICP treated areas. This study applied EICP and added either polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) or polyethylene glycol (PEG) to the cementation solution. The results showed that both PVAc and PEG could improve the shear resistance and rainfall-erosion resistance of treated dust soils. However, for repeated rainfall erosion, the surface strength and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) contents of samples still decreased to less than 250 kPa and 1.1%, respectively. Therefore, combined EICP-PVAc-PEG treatment was proposed and the rainfall-erosion durability of treated dust soils was further studied. With the EICP-PVAc-PEG treatment, the dust samples achieved better shear resistance, higher surface strength, and better repeated rainfall-erosion resistance. Considering cost, cementation effects, and the effects of repeated rainfalls, EICP-PVAc-PEG treatment with 50 g/L PVAc and 30 g/L PEG was most suitable for dust control. The combined EICP-PVAc-PEG treatment significantly suppressed the generation of dust and improved the rainfall-erosion durability.

Mineralization crust field experiment for desert sand solidification based on enzymatic calcification.

Sandstorms have been recognized as severe natural disasters worldwide and it is of great significance to propose an effective and environmentally friendly method to combat sandstorm. In this study, the enzymatic calcification (EC) treatment technology was used for mineralization crust and desert sand solidification. Both laboratory experiments and field site tests were conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of EC treatment to improve wind-erosion resistance and rainfall-erosion resistance. Results showed that with the concentration of reactants higher than 0.25 M or the ratio of urease solution to the cementation solution above 0.8, the improvement effects of wind-erosion resistance and rainfall-erosion resistance decreased. Therefore, the 0.25 M of reagent concentration and 0.8 of ratio of urease solution to the cementation solution were chosen for subsequent field site test. The two test sites had similar CaCO3 contents, thus obtaining a similar increasing range of surface strength. However, the test site one had larger surface strengths due to thicker cemented crust layers. Both the two test sites had sufficient wind-erosion resistance because of crust layer. Moreover, rainfalls decreased surface strength; the surface strength recovered to a high level after water evaporation. In addition, the effect of rainfall on thickness of crust layer and CaCO3 was small. The EC treatment had good ecological compatibility, and the combined EC and grass seed treatment was effective for mitigation of desertification. The results demonstrated that EC treatment significantly improved both wind-erosion and rainfall-erosion resistance, which presents promising potential for anti-desertification.

Application of enzymatic calcification for dust control and rainfall erosion resistance improvement.

Globally, most cities are facing severe challenges associated with dust pollution and it is of great significance to propose an effective and environmentally friendly dust control method. This study used enzymatically induced calcite precipitation (EICP) technology for dust control. Moreover, polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) was added to the cementation solution to improve its rainfall erosion resistance. The results showed that the optimum ratio of urease solution to cementation solution differed according to the concentrations of reactants in the cementation solution. Under combined EICP and PVAc (50 g/L) treatment, the stability of the dust-slope significantly improved. Moreover, little dust soil loss was washed out by simulated rainfall because of the more stable spatial structure of CaCO3 precipitation. Furthermore, PVAc addition increased the surface strength of slopes, while the cemented layer became thinner. With this combined EICP and PVAc (50 g/L) treatment, in a field test, the treated area of the slope had higher surface strengths and stronger erosion resistance than untreated areas. These higher surface strengths were attributed to the smaller particle size, and the stronger cementing effect of grass seeds. These results demonstrated that EICP-PVAc treatment significantly controlled dust and mitigated surface erosion of dust-slopes. This represents promising potential for the prevention of dust pollution.

Enzyme-catalysed mineralisation experiment study to solidify desert sands.

Sandstorms are meteorological phenomena common in arid and semi-arid regions and have been recognized severe natural disasters worldwide. The key problem is how to control and mitigate sandstorm natural disasters. This research aims to mitigate their development by improving surface stability and soil water retention properties through soil mineralization. The enzymatic induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) is proposed to solidify desert sands and form a hard crust layer on the surface of desert sands. In contrast to micro-induced carbonate precipitation commonly used at room temperatures, EICP had high production efficiency and productivity at a broader temperature range (10-70 °C ±) and significantly improves material water retention properties, which was more suitable to desert environment. Results demonstrate that the enzyme-catalysed mineralisation method can be better resistance to high winds as the number of spraying times increased.

Study on the Fatigue and Durability Behavior of Structural Expanded Polystyrene Concretes.

The fatigue and durability characteristics of structural expanded polystyrene concrete (EPS) are especially important when it was applied for structural elements in long-term service. In order to study the fatigue and durability behavior of structural EPS concrete, the long-term cyclic loading experiments and wetting-drying (W-D) cyclic experiments were conducted, respectively. The structural EPS concrete was found to have a relatively large damping and a fairly low dynamic elastic modulus under long-term cyclic load, which illustrated that it had a better energy absorption effect and toughness than plain concrete of the same strength level. Even if fine cracks appeared during the cyclic loading process, the relevant dynamic performance remained stable, which indicated that the structural EPS concrete had superior fatigue stability. In W-D cyclic experiments, the structural EPS concrete exhibited superior sulfate resistance. During the erosion test process, there was a positive correlation between the mass change and the evolution of the compressive strength of the structural EPS concrete, which indicated that ΔmB could be substituted for Δf to evaluate the degree of the structural EPS concrete eroded by sulfate attack. The study focuses on the fatigue performance and sulfate resistance of structural EPS concrete and is of important engineering value for promoting practical long-term operations.

Improvement of bio-cementation at low temperature based on Bacillus megaterium.

A low production rate for calcium carbonate with microbial solidification technology at low temperatures often restricts its application. For this reason, adding urea to the medium and the domestication of Bacillus megaterium at low temperature were proposed to produce more calcium carbonate based on an analysis of growth characteristics, urease activity, and the production rates for calcium carbonate under different conditions. Sand solidification tests were conducted to demonstrate improvements caused by the methods. The results showed that the higher the temperature, the faster the growth of Bacillus megaterium and the stronger the urease activity. Growth was fastest and urease activity strongest at a pH of 8. Adding urea to the medium and the domestication of B. megaterium at low temperature can both improve the production rate, effectively increasing calcium carbonate precipitation at low temperature. Combining the two methods resulted in greater improvement of the production rate for calcium carbonate. The two methods were also found to improve the effect of sand solidification. Therefore, our study provides a solid foundation for the actual engineering application of bio-cementation technology at low temperature.

Research on dynamic creep strain and settlement prediction under the subway vibration loading.

This research aims to explore the dynamic characteristics and settlement prediction of soft soil. Accordingly, the dynamic shear modulus formula considering the vibration frequency was utilized and the dynamic triaxial test conducted to verify the validity of the formula. Subsequently, the formula was applied to the dynamic creep strain function, with the factors influencing the improved dynamic creep strain curve of soft soil being analyzed. Meanwhile, the variation law of dynamic stress with sampling depth was obtained through the finite element simulation of subway foundation. Furthermore, the improved dynamic creep strain curve of soil layer was determined based on the dynamic stress. Thereafter, it could to estimate the long-term settlement under subway vibration loading by norms. The results revealed that the dynamic shear modulus formula is straightforward and practical in terms of its application to the vibration frequency. The values predicted using the improved dynamic creep strain formula closed to the experimental values, whilst the estimating settlement closed to the measured values obtained in the field test.