Bacteria for Concrete Surface Treatment - Biotechnologies and Biomimetics for Civil Engineering - page 321

materials by the weathering action of various physical, chemical, and biological
damage factors. The controlled use of bacteria offers new approaches for cons-
ervators to help preserve, protect, and restore building materials. Techniques based
on biodeposition have lead to several investigations on the use of bacteria in
concrete and the exploration in the field of construction materials. Biodeposition
consolidating and/or protecting efficacy are of great worth, because bacteria induce
carbonate cementation to a depth of several hundred micrometers (C500 lm).
Furthermore, no plugging or blocking of pores takes place during this cementation
(Rodriguez-Navarro et al. 2003 ). Bacterially induced carbonate mineralization has
been proposed as a novel method on corrosion protection of construction materials
(Qian et al. 2009 ; De Muynck et al. 2010 ). Bacterial induced/mediated calcium
carbonate deposition, i.e., biodeposition is a widespread natural process, occurring
under different conditions in the biosphere. For the moment, biodeposition has
been investigated extensively both in natural processes and under laboratory
conditions. Biodeposition has led to the exploration in the field of construction
materials and has been studied in detail with numerous applications in civil
engineering.
Bacterial induced carbonate deposition is a widespread natural process among
bacteria, occurring under different conditions in the biosphere (Boquet et al. 1973 )
and common in different environments such as terrestrial and aquatic habitats
(Castanier et al. 1999 ; Ehrlich 1998 ). Biodeposition applications include biomi-
metic processes and materials and examples of bioremediation (and stabilization)
in several fields ranging from applied environmental microbiology, for example,
leaching and bioremediation of inorganic contaminants to civil and environmental
engineering, for example, bioplugging, sediment dikes, biogrouting, and remedi-
ation of concrete and limestone structures (Rodriguez-Navarro et al. 2003 ;Bar-
abesi et al. 2007 ; De Muynck et al. 2010 ).
Some studies of biodeposition have proposed different mechanisms (Ehrlich
1996) and have pointed out the complexity of deposition that can be influenced by
the environmental physicochemical conditions and its process is correlated with
both the metabolic activity and the cell surface structures of bacteria (Fortin et al.
1997 ; Castanier et al. 1999 ). Although biodeposition is a widespread occurring
natural process and has been investigated extensively both in natural environments
and under defined laboratory conditions, the key role played by bacteria in the
course of deposition is still worthy of further discussing (Von Knorre and

Krumbein 2000 ; Zavarzin 2002 ).
Biodeposition has been proposed as a novel method on corrosion protection of
building materials. Surface treatment of concrete materials and structures by
means of biodeposition presents a promising novel biotechnology for the
enhancement or improvement of durability of concrete materials and structures.
This chapter starts with a brief overview of the main commonly recognized fea-
tures of biodeposition (Sect. 7.2 ), followed by the description of concrete surface
treatment based on biodeposition and literature on biodeposition carbonates as
surface treatment agents for the decrease of permeability in concrete materials and
structures (Sect. 7.3 ) and bacterial self-healing concrete and bacterial induced