Geometric tortuosity model of pores in MICP-treated calcareous sand

Abstract

In island reef reclamation, Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) is often used to solidify calcareous sand. Processes such as precipitation can form freshwater storage zones within the solidified areas. The tortuosity and corresponding Representative Elementary Volume (REV) of these zones are crucial for understanding water flow transport in MICP-solidified calcareous sand (MSCS). However, there is currently a lack of quantitative characterization of tortuosity in MSCS. Therefore, this study establishes a geometric tortuosity model for MSCS based on characteristics such as calcium carbonate cementation mode, porosity, calcium carbonate size, and sand particle arrangement. The results show that porosity has a significant impact on the tortuosity of MSCS; specifically, as porosity increases, tortuosity first decreases rapidly and then levels off. An increase in calcium carbonate particle size, a decrease in the spacing between calcareous sand particles, and an increase in the misalignment angle between particles all lead to increased tortuosity, extending the water flow path. The calculated results of the established geometric tortuosity model for MSCS align well with the simulated tortuosity values. Compared to previous literature, the trend of changes in MSCS is consistent, but the tortuosity values are higher than those of single sand particles. This indicates that the proposed geometric tortuosity model for MSCS is more suitable for accurately describing the flow path tortuosity in MICP-solidified island reef freshwater storage zones and understanding the corresponding water flow migration characteristics.