Dr. Xuerui Wang, a researcher at GRS in Germany, visited the School to conduct an academic exchange
-Introduction to MICP and Analysis Using the BCHM Model
On the afternoon of October 19,2026, at the invitation of Professor Tang Chaosheng, Dr. Xuerui Wang, a senior researcher at GRS gGmbH in Germany, visited our center for academic exchange and delivered a presentation titled "Modeling the Coupled Bio-Chemo-Hydro-Mechanical Processes in MICP-Based Soil Improvement" in Conference Room 205 of the Zhu Gongshan Building.
This report focuses on microorganism-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) soil improvement technology and its multi-field coupled numerical simulations. Dr. Xuerui Wang systematically elaborates on the fundamental principles of MICP technology and its applications in geotechnical engineering, with particular emphasis on the intricate coupling relationships among microbial activity, chemical reactions, hydraulic transport, and soil mechanical responses. MICP technology achieves soil cementation and reinforcement through the precipitation of microorganism-induced calcium carbonate at the contact interfaces between soil particles; its improvement efficacy is jointly influenced by biological, chemical, hydraulic, and mechanical factors. To address these complex processes, this report presents a bio-chemical-hydraulic-mechanical (BCHM) multi-field coupled numerical simulation framework developed using the open-source numerical simulation platform OpenGeoSys. This framework integrates microbial and chemical reaction processes with solute transport, seepage, and soil mechanical responses, and validates the model against experimental data. Consequently, this work provides novel research perspectives for elucidating the multi-physics interaction mechanisms during MICP soil improvement processes.
Following the conclusion of the report session, faculty and students from our center, based on their respective research projects, engaged in in-depth discussions with Dr. Xuerui Wang on key topics including biogeochemical reactions, multi-field coupled numerical simulations, the intrinsic mechanisms of MICP-mediated soil modification, and the evolution patterns of soil engineering properties. Leveraging his extensive research experience, Dr. Xuerui Wang addressed each question raised by the participants one by one, while also presenting the latest research advancements and future research directions in the field of bio-geotechnical engineering. This exchange effectively broadened the academic horizons of our center's faculty and students, and provided novel insights for subsequent investigations into the mechanisms of MICP-based soil reinforcement and its practical engineering applications.
This academic lecture has provided an excellent opportunity for faculty and students of our center to exchange knowledge regarding microbial soil improvement technologies and multi-field coupled numerical simulation methods; it has helped broaden their research horizons in the field of bio-geotechnical engineering and fostered interdisciplinary integration and innovative development within related disciplines.
About the Speakers
Dr. Xuerui Wangcurrently serves as a senior researcher and project leader at GRS (Gesellschaft für Anlagen-und Reaktorsicherheit) gGmbH in Germany, while also engaging in academic teaching at the Leibniz University Hannover in Germany. He has long been dedicated to research on thermo-hydro-hydraulic multiphase coupling and biogeochemical processes, with primary research focuses on microbe-induced calcium carbonate precipitation, deep geological disposal facilities, multiphysics and multiscale numerical simulations, and safety analysis.