Email this article Effect of bacteria and fibers on the mechanical and structural behavior of self-healing fibrous concrete
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20528/cjcrl.2026.01.002
View Counter: Abstract | 283 times | ‒ Full Article | 102 times |
Full Text:
PDFAbstract
The incorporation of bacteria into concrete has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance mechanical performance. This study presents a comprehensive experimental and numerical investigation into the behavior of fibrous concrete incorporating two bacterial strains—Bacillus megaterium (BM) and W1 at a dosage of 0.25% of cement weight, combined with either steel or polypropylene fibers. A multiscale experimental program was carried out, including compressive, tensile, and flexural tests, along with structural slab evaluation and analytical validation. Results revealed significant strength enhancements due to the steel fiber–BM combination, with compressive strength improvements of 42%, 52%, and 31% at 7, 28, and 90 days, respectively, compared to the control. Using polypropylene fiber–W1 mixes, recorded tensile strength gains reached nearly 19%. Flexural strength increased by up to 30% in 90 days, confirming the synergistic effect of fiber crack-bridging and bacterial precipitation. Structural performance was further assessed through four-point bending tests on reinforced slabs (1.0 m × 0.5 m × 0.05 m), where bacterial–fibrous concretes exhibited superior ductility and load capacity compared to the control. Reinforcing with steel plates proved more effective than glass fiber laminates, achieving 15–17% higher ultimate loads. A finite element model developed in Abaqus/CAE using the Concrete Damaged Plasticity model accurately replicated the experimental load–deflection responses, validating the proposed approach. Overall, the results demonstrate that integrating bacteria with fibers and external reinforcement can substantially enhance both material- and structural-scale performance, highlighting its potential for durable, high-performance concrete applications. These findings underline the potential of fibrous concrete as a sustainable, durable, and cost-effective solution for future structural applications.
Keywords
References
ACI 211.1 (2009). Standard practice for selecting proportions for normal, heavyweight, and mass concrete. American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, USA.
Ahmed SO, Nasser AAA, Abbas RN, Kamal MM, Zahran MA, Sorour NM (2021). Production of bioconcrete with improved durability properties using alkaliphilic Egyptian bacteria. 3 Biotech, 11(5), 231.
ASTM C1609/C1609M (2019). Standard test method for flexural performance of fiber-reinforced concrete (using beam with third-point loading). ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, USA.
ASTM E399 (2020). Standard test method for linear-elastic plane-strain fracture toughness of metallic materials. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, USA.
Bakr MA, Hussain A, Singh PK, Singh BK, Prajakti (2024). Effects of bacterial consortium-enhanced recycled coarse aggregates on self-healing concrete immobilized with Bacillus megaterium MTCC 1684 and Bacillus subtilis NCIM 2193. Structural Concrete, 25(3), 1840–1864.
de Brito J, Kurda R (2021). The past and future of sustainable concrete: A critical review and new strategies on cement-based materials. Journal of Cleaner Production, 281, 123558.
ES 1072/2008 (2008). Egyptian standard specification for Portland cement. Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality, Cairo, Egypt.
ES 1658/2018 (2018). Egyptian standard specification for aggregates used in concrete. Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality, Cairo, Egypt.
E.S.S. 4756-1/2022 (2022). Egyptian standard specification for fiber-reinforced concrete – Part 1: Requirements. Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality, Cairo, Egypt.
Ganesh S, Danish P, Jessie JA, Ganie MA, Raina CS (2020). Experimental study on self-healing concrete with the effect of Bacillus subtilis bacteria to improve the strength and sustainability of the concrete. Journal of Green Engineering, 10(4), 1909–1923.
Griño AA, Soriano HSP, Promentilla MAB, Ongpeng JMC (2023). Exploring the potential of polypropylene fibers and bacterial co-culture in repairing and strengthening geopolymer-based construction materials. Buildings, 13(10), 2668.
Han S, Jang I, Choi EK, Park W, Yi C, Chung N (2020). Bacterial self-healing performance of coated expanded clay in concrete. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 146(7), 04020072.
Helal Z, Salim H, Ahmad SSE, Elemam H, Mohamed AIH, Elmahdy MAR (2024). Sustainable bacteria-based self-healing steel fiber reinforced concrete. Case Studies in Construction Materials, 20, e03389.
Hosseinzadeh H, Salehi AM, Mehraein M, Asadollahfardi G (2023). The effects of steel, polypropylene, and high-performance macro polypropylene fibers on mechanical properties and durability of high-strength concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 386, 131589.
Igbokwe E, Ibekwe S, Mensah P, Agu O, Abedin R (2022). Efficacy of cellulose fiber as a bacterial carrier for self-healing concrete and 3D polymer microstructure. Proceedings for the American Society for Composites-Thirty Seventh Technical Conference, Tucson, AZ.
Islam SU, Waseem SA (2023). Strength retrieval and microstructural characterization of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus megaterium incorporated into plain and reinforced concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 404, 133331.
İsar A, Sürmelioğlu S, Andiç-Çakir Ö, Hameş EE (2023). Improvement of microstructure of cementitious composites by microbially-induced calcite precipitation. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 39(3), 76.
Ji HM, Liang SM, Li XW, Chen DL (2020). Kinking and cracking behavior in nacre under stepwise compressive loading. Materials Science and Engineering: C, 108, 110364.
Mohammed H, Ortoneda-Pedrola M, Nakouti I, Bras A (2020). Experimental characterisation of non-encapsulated bio-based concrete with self-healing capacity. Construction and Building Materials, 256, 119411.
Mostofinejad D, Karimi N, Tayebani B (2022). Effect of bacterial spore in surface-treated fiber-reinforced concrete. ACI Materials Journal, 119, 1–12.
Mutitu DK (2019). Influence of Lysinibacillus sphaericus on compressive strength and water sorptivity in microbial cement mortar. M.Sc. thesis, Jomo Kenyatta University, Kenya.
Nasser AA, Esmail RF, Abbas RY, Sorour NM (2022). Effect of Bacillus megaterium bacteria and different calcium sources on strength and permeation properties of concrete. Engineering Research Journal, 45(3), 401–412.
Nasser AA, Sorour NM, Saafan MA, Abbas RN (2022). Microbially-induced calcite precipitation (MICP): A biotechnological approach to enhance the durability of concrete using Bacillus pasteurii and Bacillus sphaericus. Heliyon, 8(7), e09948.
Nimafar M, Hosseini SJ, Akhlaghi A, Samali B, Soltaninia S (2023). Effect of bacterial carbonate precipitation on the durability of concrete specimens exposed to high temperatures. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 35(1), 04022394.
Puranik SA, Jain S, Sritam G, Sandbhor S (2019). Bacterial concrete—a sustainable solution for concrete maintenance. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering, 8, 227–232.
Rauf M, Khaliq W, Khushnood RA, Ahmed I (2020). Comparative performance of different bacteria immobilized in natural fibers for self-healing in concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 259, 119788.
Rossi E, Vermeer CM, Mors R, Kleerebezem R, Copuroglu O, Jonkers HM (2021). On the applicability of a precursor derived from organic waste streams for bacteria-based self-healing concrete. Frontiers in Built Environment, 7, 632921.
Roy R, Rossi E, Silfwerbrand J, Jonkers H (2021). Self-healing capacity of mortars with added-in bio-plastic bacteria-based agents: Characterization and quantification through micro-scale techniques. Construction and Building Materials, 297, 123793.
Ryparova P, Prošek Z, Schreiberova H, Bílỳ P, Tesarek P (2021). The role of bacterially induced calcite precipitation in self-healing of cement paste. Journal of Building Engineering, 39, 102299.
Sadeghpour M, Baradaran M (2023). Effect of bacteria on the self-healing ability of fly ash concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 364, 129956.
Saridhe SP, Selvaraj T (2021). Microbial precipitation of calcium carbonate in cementitious materials–A critical review. Materials Today: Proceedings, 43, 1232–1240.
Singh OP, Kulhar KS, Upadhyai RP (2023). The comparison of the experimental investigations of strength characteristics of conventional and bacterial concrete. Materials Today: Proceedings.
Su Y, Qian C, Rui Y, Feng J (2021). Exploring the coupled mechanism of fibers and bacteria on self-healing concrete from bacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Cement and Concrete Composites, 120, 103896.
Su Y, Zheng T, Qian C (2021). Application potential of Bacillus megaterium encapsulated by low alkaline sulphoaluminate cement in self-healing concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 273, 121740.
Tang Y, Xu J (2021). Application of microbial precipitation in self-healing concrete: A review on the protection strategies for bacteria. Construction and Building Materials, 306, 124950.
Wachira JM, Thiong’o JK, Marangu JM, Murithi LG (2019). Physicochemical performance of Portland-rice husk ash-calcined clay-dried acetylene lime sludge cement in sulphate and chloride media. Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, 2019, 5618743.
Wang Y, Jiang N, Saracho AC, Doygun O, Du Y, Han X (2023). Compressibility characteristics of bio-cemented calcareous sand treated through the bio-stimulation approach. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 15(2), 510–522.
Xie F, Tian W, Li S, Diez P, Zlotnik S, Gonzalez AG (2025). Experimental study on the structural performance of glass-fiber-reinforced concrete slabs reinforced with glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars: A sustainable alternative to steel in challenging environments. Polymers, 17(8), 1068.
Xu J, Tang Y, Wang X (2020). A correlation study on optimum conditions of microbial precipitation and prerequisites for self-healing concrete. Process Biochemistry, 94, 266–272.
Zahran MA, Attia M, Nasser AA (2014). Self-healing of cracked concrete with bacterial approach. ERJ Engineering Research Journal, 37(2), 255-264.
