Evaluation of the potential of biocementation in clayey and sandy soils for foundations using fish viscera waste

• Autores: Vilcas Ramos, Gerardo Alfredo, Berrios Gozar, Dajhana Rubi, Guerreros Taipe, Diego Estiben, Lengua Fernandez, Marko Antonio
• Formato: tesis de grado
• Fecha de Publicación: 2025
• Institución: Universidad Continental
• Repositorio: CONTINENTAL-Institucional
• Lenguaje: inglés
• OAI Identifier: oai:repositorio.continental.edu.pe:20.500.12394/19481
• Enlace del recurso: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12394/19481; https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V12I9P102
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: Cimentaciones; Estabilización de suelos; Soil stabilization; Desechos del pescado; Sustainable geotechnology; Fish waste; https://purl.org/pe-repo/ocde/ford#2.01.00

Faced with the dual challenges of rapid urbanization on unsuitable soils and the environmental burden of organic waste from the fishing industry, Peru urgently needs innovative and sustainable engineering solutions. A biotechnological alternative is introduced for soil improvement based on Microbial - Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP), using Sporosarcina pasteurii bacteria nourished with nutrient - rich extracts from the viscera of horse mackerel, mullet, and bonito. Bacterial cultures were prepared in a solution of urea - ammonium, distilled water, and Tris buffer, with parameters such as bacterial concentration (1.10E7 to 1.30E7 CFU/ml), viscera extract volume (3 – 9 ml), and temperature (25 – 35 °C) optimized for maximum calcium carbonate precipitation. Under optimal conditions (1.30E7 CFU/ml, 9 ml, 35 °C), CaCO₃ production reached 0.0194 g. Soil treatment trials demonstrated significant engineering benefits: in low - plasticity clay, allowable bearing capacity increased by 80% and deformation was reduced by 68.5%; in poorly graded sand with gravel, capacity rose by 20% and deformation decreased by 35.1%. Clay - sand mixtures showed capacity gains up to 31% and deformability reductions of 55.7%. The results are attributed to the formation of calcium carbonate bridges, which enhance particle cohesion and stiffness. Technical and environmental feasibility of revalorizing fish viscera as a nutrient source for biocementation, offering a low - cost and sustainable strategy for urban soil stabilization.