Alternative Biomineralisation for Concrete without cement (ABioC)

ABioC项目旨在开发一种使用非封装细胞的生物矿化技术，通过再利用目前作为废物处理在垃圾填埋场的地聚合物前体来改善地聚合物混凝土（GPC）基础设施的性能。吉萨金字塔的地聚合是该技术耐久性的一个例子——铝硅酸盐和高碱性溶液将聚集体结合在一起，而不是使用波特兰水泥作为粘合剂。ABioC将使混凝土行业受益，将当地的废料纳入多功能gpc中，为建筑行业的脱碳提供了一条途径。这将扩大GPC在基础设施方面的巨大潜在应用，使其更加环保。当前GPCs关于收缩和耐久性的问题。收缩率比普通硅酸盐水泥（OPC）混凝土高2-4倍，氯化物渗透性比普通硅酸盐水泥（OPC）混凝土高，pH值较低，因腐蚀难以与钢筋配合使用。GPC的长期耐久性仍有待研究。生物矿化最近成为一种受自然启发的方法，通过使用促进碳酸钙沉积在混凝土中的细菌来修复微裂缝，从而巩固、修复和保护建筑材料。ABioC将(1)研究前体作为载体和保护细菌免受恶劣环境的能力；（O2）阐明了细菌介导的抑制结构中GPC腐蚀的机制，与增强的OPC混凝土相比，（O3）证明了自我修复的生物增强GPC的潜力，通过各种GPC材料组合延长基础设施的使用寿命，与OPC结构相比，大大减少了昂贵的维护干预需求。这种跨学科，与世界领先的专家和利益相关者的接触，将使研究员能够特别扩大科学技能和研究组合。

The ABioC project aims at developing a biomineralisation technique using non-encapsulated cells, to improve the properties of Geopolymer Concrete (GPC) infrastructure, by reusing geopolymer precursors currently disposed in landfill as wastes. The geopolymerisation of Pyramids of Giza is an example of the durability of the technique - the binding of aluminosilicates and highly alkaline solutions holding aggregates together, not using Portland cement as a binder. ABioC will benefit the concrete industry by enabling the incorporation of local waste materials in versatile GPCs, offering a path to decarbonisation of the construction sector. This will expand GPC's huge potential applications for infrastructures, making them more environmentally friendly. Current GPCs issues regarding shrinkage and durability. Shrinkage can be 2-4 times higher than in Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) concrete, chloride penetration is higher than in OPC and the pH is lower, making its use difficult with reinforcement due to corrosion. The long-term durability of GPC remains under-investigated.Biomineralisation recently emerged as a nature-inspired approach to consolidate, repair and protect construction materials through the use of bacteria that promote calcium carbonate deposition in concrete to heal microcracks. ABioC will (O1) study the capacity of the precursors to act as carrier and protect the bacteria from a harsh environment; (O2) elucidate on the mechanisms of bacteria-mediated inhibition of GPC corrosion in structures, compared to reinforced OPC concrete and (O3) demonstrate the potential of self-healing bio-enhanced GPC to prolong the service life of infrastructure with a variety of GPC materials combinations, greatly reducing the need for costly maintenance intervention, in comparison to OPC structures. Such interdisciplinarity, engagement with world-leading experts and stakeholders, will allow the fellow for an exceptional broadening of scientific skills and research portfolio.