Abstract:The excessive number of cementing solution injections required for MICP limits its practical engineering application. In order to reduce the number of injections and improve the efficiency of the cementing process, an enhancement method was investigated in this study in which aluminum ion flocculant was added to the cementing solution to enhance the curing rate and effectiveness of MICP. Experiments were carried out on MICP-reinforced sand columns, and the influence of different concentrations of AlCl3?6H2O on the cementing solution was studied. Then the influence of AlCl3?6H2O on production of calcium carbonate and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) was studied. In the aqueous solution test, the changes of precipitation and solution pH under different solution conditions were observed, and the effects of the aluminum ion flocculant on the composition and morphology of the deposited calcium carbonate were investigated using XRD and SEM tests. The results show that, compared with the control group, after adding an appropriate amount of aluminum ion flocculant to the cementing solution, the proposed method resulted in the experimental sand column being reinforced after 3 treatments of the cementing solution. The UCS reaches 1.7 MPa after 5 treatments of the cementing solution, compared to 9 treatments using the conventional method. The addition of AlCl3?6H2O to the cementing solution significantly reduced the number of MICP injections required compared to the control group. This study provides an important reference for applying MICP-reinforced sand in practical engineering.