Role of Mixing of Two Bacteria on Compressive Strength, Water Absorption and Microstructure of Mortar Cubes
Abstract
Major/minor cracks is inevitable in concrete because of its lower tensile strength and different load and non-load factors. Addition of bacteria in mortar is an emerging concept. Despite the fact that the live cells has proven to be beneficial towards enhancement of several concrete properties, the trend of increment in the compressive strength has not been significant with addition of single bacteria. This study introduces a new approach of mixing two bacteria: B Subtilus and B Megaterium, and investigating the role of the microbes on compressive strength, water absorption and SEM analysis. The results demonstrated an increment of compressive strength by 18.09 % when two bacteria’s were mixed. Also, cubes with B Megaterium absorbed 17.03% less water than normal cubes. This new method of mixing bacteria can potentially solve major/minor concrete cracking issues, could be economical in the long run, and is an environment friendly approach.