Effect of waste rubber particles on the shear behaviour of bio-cemented calcareous sand

Calcareous sand, a special type of sand commonly used for the construction of coastal engineering in tropical coasts, is usually required to be strengthened due to its poor engineering mechanical properties. Microbially induced carbonate precipitation has been proved to be a promising method for this purpose. A higher cementation level generally leads to a greater strength enhancement, but tends to cause brittle failure of bio-cemented calcareous sand, which in turn brings great potential risks for the coastal engineering. Therefore, the shear behaviour, especially the brittle behaviour, of bio-cemented calcareous sand needs to be understood properly, and taking some measures to improve its brittle behaviour is also necessary. In this regard, a series of triaxial compression tests were conducted to study the shear behaviour of bio-cemented calcareous sand with various cementation levels, and the waste rubber particles are used to improve the brittle behaviour of bio-cemented calcareous sand. The test results show that the shear strength of bio-cemented calcareous sand increases with the increase in cementation level, and the brittle behaviour is significant gradually. The waste rubber particles contribute to improve the brittle behaviour of bio-cemented calcareous sand, reducing the dilation of bio-cemented calcareous sand and slowing the changes in dilatancy with the increment of stress.