TY - JOUR
T1 - EICP Treatment of Soil by Using Urease Enzyme Extracted from Watermelon Seeds
AU - Javadi, Neda
AU - Khodadadi, Hamed
AU - Hamdan, Nasser
AU - Kavazanjian, Edward
N1 - Funding Information:
Work described herein was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center programs under grant numbered ERC-1449501. The authors are grateful for this support. Any opinions or positions expressed in this article are the authors only, and do not reflect any opinions or positions of the NSF.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).All Rights Reserved.
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - As part of an effort to lower the cost of urease enzyme used in enzyme induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) for soil improvement, urease enzyme was extracted from watermelon seeds. EICP is a biologically-based ground improvement technique in which a solution containing calcium, urea, and urease enzyme is used to induce calcium carbonate precipitation in a granular soil, enhancing strength, and stiffness. To reduce the enzyme cost by obtaining it from a waste material, the effectiveness of urease enzyme extracted from watermelon seeds, a urease-rich agricultural waste, was evaluated. Low-Tech methods were employed for extraction and purification of the enzyme. The extracted enzyme, which showed urease activity of around 611 U/ml, was used to treat Ottawa 20/30 sand. Results of scanning electron microscope imaging and energy dispersive X-ray analysis demonstrated calcium carbonate precipitation. The ratio of the precipitated carbonate content to the theoretical maximum was found to be around 64%.
AB - As part of an effort to lower the cost of urease enzyme used in enzyme induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) for soil improvement, urease enzyme was extracted from watermelon seeds. EICP is a biologically-based ground improvement technique in which a solution containing calcium, urea, and urease enzyme is used to induce calcium carbonate precipitation in a granular soil, enhancing strength, and stiffness. To reduce the enzyme cost by obtaining it from a waste material, the effectiveness of urease enzyme extracted from watermelon seeds, a urease-rich agricultural waste, was evaluated. Low-Tech methods were employed for extraction and purification of the enzyme. The extracted enzyme, which showed urease activity of around 611 U/ml, was used to treat Ottawa 20/30 sand. Results of scanning electron microscope imaging and energy dispersive X-ray analysis demonstrated calcium carbonate precipitation. The ratio of the precipitated carbonate content to the theoretical maximum was found to be around 64%.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85048885112&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85048885112&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1061/9780784481592.012
DO - 10.1061/9780784481592.012
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:85048885112
SN - 0895-0563
VL - 2018-March
SP - 115
EP - 124
JO - Geotechnical Special Publication
JF - Geotechnical Special Publication
IS - GSP 296
T2 - 3rd International Foundation Congress and Equipment Expo 2018: Innovations in Ground Improvement for Soils, Pavements, and Subgrades, IFCEE 2018
Y2 - 5 March 2018 through 10 March 2018
ER -