抄録
New ground improvement technologies using microbial functions have attracted attention recently both within and outside Japan. In this review paper, an outline of the present status of ground improvement technologies using microbial functions is presented. First, the advantages of ground improvement technologies using microorganisms are described. Second, previous studies on ground cementing technologies using calcium carbonate, silica, or calcium phosphate compounds, which are biominerals and representative eco-friendly cement materials in nature, are explained after being classified into three chapters. The main conclusions of the present review are as follows: most of the previous studies used calcium carbonate as the cement material; the studies were conducted mainly in the laboratory; the techniques fall one-step short of practical use stages. Finally, studies related to the usage of waste and applied to natural beachrock formations are presented as future prospects; similar to the ground improvement technologies mentioned above, these studies may lead to unprecedented new understanding, discoveries, and development through cooperation between microbiology and geotechnical engineering fields in the future.
