Enzyme-Induced Carbonate Precipitation (EICP) for Soil Stabilization: A Review of Mechanisms, Applications, and Future Challenges
- 1Shandong Hi-Speed Construction Management Group Co., Ltd., Jinan 250098, China
- 2Shandong Hi-Speed Qidong Highway Co., Ltd., Liaocheng 252299, China
- 3School of Qilu Transportation, Shandong University, Jinan 250002, China
Abstract
Enzyme-Induced Carbonate Precipitation (EICP) represents a sustainable advancement in geotechnical engineering for stabilizing fine-grained soils (e.g., silt). Utilizing plant-derived urease (~12 nm) to catalyze urea hydrolysis, this technique generates calcium carbonate (CaCO3) for soil reinforcement. Unlike Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP), EICP overcomes microbial size constraints (0.5–3 µm) by penetrating soil micropores, enabling uniform cementation. Its innovative single-phase low-pH method achieves >98% calcium conversion efficiency, yielding 6.41 MPa unconfined compressive strength (UCS) in sand—a 92.97% improvement over MICP. EICP demonstrates versatility: enhancing soil strength (up to 650% for silt), erosion resistance (wind erosion modulus increased ~20-fold), anti-seepage performance (permeability reduced from 10−6 to <10−9 cm/s), and heavy metal immobilization (>99%). However, challenges include unstable crystal morphologies (e.g., excessive vaterite), urease stability/cost constraints, and environmental concerns related to NH3 emissions from urea hydrolysis. The manuscript acknowledges these emissions’ impacts and introduces mitigation strategies: ammonia capture technologies, optimized dosing protocols, and exploration of alternative N-sources. Long-term durability data under complex field conditions remain insufficient. Ongoing research addresses these gaps through nucleating agents (dried skim milk, biochar), enzyme immobilization, process optimization, and byproduct treatment. As a low-carbon technology with targeted mitigation measures, EICP advances environmentally conscious soil stabilization practices. This study presents a comparative narrative analysis of EICP’s performance and challenges, integrating laboratory findings and field applications.
Related
- Research on the mechanical properties of loess solidified via enzyme induced calcium carbonate precipitation (EICP)
- Reconstructing the spatiotemporal distribution of microbial-induced carbonate precipitation using electrical conductivity tomography
- Study on the mechanical properties and resistance to wetting–drying cycles of red clay stabilized by enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP)
- Evaporation cracking characteristics and mechanism of silt improved by microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation
- Revisiting the mechanisms for the observed decrease in inner-core tropical cyclone precipitation
BibTeX
@article{y2026enzymeinduced,
title = {{Enzyme-Induced Carbonate Precipitation (EICP) for Soil Stabilization: A Review of Mechanisms, Applications, and Future Challenges}},
author = {Y LI and Shengya Zhou and Fankai Liu and Zhiyu Dong and Xiangtai Fan and Zhi Ge and Chong Li and Hongzhi Zhang},
journal = {Geotechnics},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.3390/geotechnics6020053},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/geotechnics6020053},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Enzyme-Induced Carbonate Precipitation (EICP) for Soil Stabilization: A Review of Mechanisms, Applications, and Future Challenges
AU - Y LI
AU - Shengya Zhou
AU - Fankai Liu
AU - Zhiyu Dong
AU - Xiangtai Fan
AU - Zhi Ge
AU - Chong Li
AU - Hongzhi Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/29
JO - Geotechnics
DO - 10.3390/geotechnics6020053
UR - https://doi.org/10.3390/geotechnics6020053
AB - Enzyme-Induced Carbonate Precipitation (EICP) represents a sustainable advancement in geotechnical engineering for stabilizing fine-grained soils (e.g., silt). Utilizing plant-derived urease (~12 nm) to catalyze urea hydrolysis, this technique generates calcium carbonate (CaCO3) for soil reinforcement. Unlike Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP), EICP overcomes microbial size constraints (0.5–3 µm) by penetrating soil micropores, enabling uniform cementation. Its innovative single-phase low-pH method achieves >98% calcium conversion efficiency, yielding 6.41 MPa unconfined compressive strength (UCS) in sand—a 92.97% improvement over MICP. EICP demonstrates versatility: enhancing soil strength (up to 650% for silt), erosion resistance (wind erosion modulus increased ~20-fold), anti-seepage performance (permeability reduced from 10−6 to <10−9 cm/s), and heavy metal immobilization (>99%). However, challenges include unstable crystal morphologies (e.g., excessive vaterite), urease stability/cost constraints, and environmental concerns related to NH3 emissions from urea hydrolysis. The manuscript acknowledges these emissions’ impacts and introduces mitigation strategies: ammonia capture technologies, optimized dosing protocols, and exploration of alternative N-sources. Long-term durability data under complex field conditions remain insufficient. Ongoing research addresses these gaps through nucleating agents (dried skim milk, biochar), enzyme immobilization, process optimization, and byproduct treatment. As a low-carbon technology with targeted mitigation measures, EICP advances environmentally conscious soil stabilization practices. This study presents a comparative narrative analysis of EICP’s performance and challenges, integrating laboratory findings and field applications.
SN - 2673-7094
ER -