• DR. Chhotulal P. Parel
• Lomesh Mahajan

In the era of construction materials, ferrocement stands as a remarkably adaptable substance. Its fundamental component, the matrix, relies heavily on the use of natural river sand as aggregates. However, the escalating excavation of natural sand from riverbeds has raised pressing environmental concerns. To address this challenge, the adoption of artificial sand emerges as a potential solution, yet it comes with a trade-off: a potential decline in ferrocement's structural robustness, attributed to the formation of pores within the matrix, causing flakiness in the artificial sand. In response to this conundrum, a novel approach is explored in this study incorporating bacteria alongside artificial sand. Bacteria, notably Bacillus subtilis, exhibit the remarkable ability to induce mineral precipitation through bio-mineralization, offering a promising avenue for bolstering the strength and durability of mortar. This study delves into the experimental examination of ferrocement cubes, enriched with the presence of Bacillus subtilis, to elucidate the effects of bacterial precipitation. Bacterially encouraged calcium carbonate precipitation has been anticipated as an alternative and conservational technique to grow self-healing cementitious materials arrangement in recent years. This study considered the stimuluses of bacteria-based self-healing agents on the rheology. It intricately unravels the outcomes of these experiments, conducted with varying combinations of artificial and natural sand, thus shedding light on a pioneering fusion of biological processes and construction technology to address both environmental and structural concerns. The paper provides an in-depth analysis of trials conducted on ferrocement utilising bacillus subtilis at a dosage of 106 cells/ml in various mixes of 20%, 25%, and 30% artificial sand and 100% natural sand.

Ferrocement, Artificial sand, Bacillus, Construction materials, Compressive strength

"Enhancing Strength and Durability of Ferrocement with Bacterial Precipitation Using Bacillus subtilis and Artificial Sand.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 6, page no.f494-f510, June-2024, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2406555.pdf

"Enhancing Strength and Durability of Ferrocement with Bacterial Precipitation Using Bacillus subtilis and Artificial Sand.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 6, page no. ppf494-f510, June-2024, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2406555.pdf