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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
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    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Bio-mediated Method for Improving the Erosion Resistance of Coastal Embankment</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2012466</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary goal of this proposal is to develop a bio-mediated technique that would enable enzyme induced calcite precipitation (EICP) under varying temperatures to improve the physical properties of soil embankment and mitigate coastal erosion in the State of New Jersey.

The intended outcome of the project is a final report to be distributed to a broad range of agencies across the region as well as a technical synthesis report that will include a set of concise but comprehensive recommendations for successfully implementing the developed technique with the existing NJ coastal soils. The developed bio-mediated soil reinforcing technique will be readily available to be deployed on the selected embankment sites of interest along NJ coastal roadways.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2022 14:26:40 GMT</pubDate>
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      <title>Analysis of Mitigating Concrete Cracks with Bacteria</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1735537</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Concrete is typically utilized by villages, cities and counties in Ohio for the construction of bridges. Throughout its life, concrete develops cracks in the surface. These cracks allow water into the voids. During the freeze thaw cycle of the winter, the water freezes and expands causing the size of the crack to expand. Larger cracks allow more water to enter the structure, which results either in larger cracks or additional cracking. This cycle continues until local failure occurs in the concrete, which can result in costly repairs. 
One potential way to address this issue is to introduce bacteria into the concrete mix. The concept is that when the bacteria is exposed to air, the bacteria precipitates a calcite into the concrete. This calcite fills the cracks and bonds to the concrete mitigating the negative impacts of concrete cracking. If this method is successful and cost-effective, this could provide local public agencies with an opportunity to reduce maintenance and repair activities and the associated costs. 
The goal of this research is to assess the feasibility and impact of incorporating bacteria into concrete mixes used on the local roadway system for extending service life.  The objectives of this research are to: 
(1) Determine the best bacteria to use for local applications. 
(2) Determine the availability of bacteria to use for local applications. 
(3) Determine the affect the bacteria has on the strength of the concrete. 
(4) Determine the effectiveness of the bacteria at stopping or reducing hairline cracks in the concrete. 
(5) Determine the impact the bacteria has on the life expectancy of the concrete. 
(6) Evaluate the impact the incorporation of bacteria has on overall costs. 
                 ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2020 13:20:55 GMT</pubDate>
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