A comprehensive screening on the effect of Bacillus cereus and Vibrio natriegens bacterial consortia in cement mortar.

Self-healing mechanisms based on calcite precipitation have proven effective in enhancing concrete's strength, durability, and crack repair capabilities. This research explores the self-healing process in concrete via microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) using Bacillus cereus and Vibrio natriegens. This study involved various experimental analysis such as biochemical and morphological identification, bacterial growth evaluation, and characterization of mortar specimens using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), testing for ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and compressive strength testing. The findings revealed that the bacterial consortium outperformed the individual bacterial strains, resulting in a 19.85% increase in compressive strength and a 29.6% decrease in water absorption compared to conventional mortar. XRD and EDS analyses confirmed the formation of calcium carbonates within the cracks. These results position the bacterial consortium as an effective and economically viable approach for bio-self-healing concrete through MICP, especially in hot and humid environments.