Maintaining and developing our national infrastructure comes with financial and environmental costs. The construction industry uses techniques and technologies that have changed little over decades and relies hugely on the strength and durability of concrete, to prepare the ground for building.

These dated methods depend on soil excavation, transporting large volumes of carbon-intensive construction materials and produces significant waste .

Our research project with Strathclyde University is testing how ‘Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation’ (MICP), mixing bacteria into the existing soil, can increase the strength and durability of ground materials. One of the most common applications of MICP is altering an existing weak substance, such as sand, to increase its strength bearing capacity.

MICP has the potential to innovate industry practices and become an important part of the construction industry's decarbonisation.

MICP would replace many of the injection grouting techniques and materials currently in use, all of which are either cement-based (high embodied carbon) or use industrial chemicals (epoxies, polyurethanes, acrylics etc.)

The technical performance of MICP is superior to many of the current materials, providing improvements in soils strength that exceed even some cementitious injections. Rather than excavating large volumes of natural granular soils and replacing them with engineered fill and concrete, MICP can increase the strength of the material, improving its bearing capacity. MICP offers clear benefits for infrastructure asset owners and operators, through increased productivity, greater structural resilience and improved sustainability.