Construction Biotechnology: Integrating Bacterial Systems into Civil Engineering Practices.

The integration of bacterial biotechnology into construction and geotechnical practices is redefining approaches to material sustainability, infrastructure longevity, and environmental resilience. Over the past two decades, research activity in construction biotechnology has expanded rapidly, with more than 350 publications between 2000 and 2024 and a five-fold increase in annual output since 2020. Beyond bibliometric growth, technical studies have demonstrated the remarkable performance of bacterial systems: for example, microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) can increase the compressive strength of treated soils by 60-70% and reduce permeability by more than 90% in field-scale trials. In concrete applications, bacterial self-healing has been shown to seal cracks up to 0.8 mm wide and improve water tightness by 70-90%. Similarly, biofilm-mediated corrosion barriers can extend the durability of reinforced steel by significantly reducing chloride ingress, while bacterial biopolymers such as xanthan gum and curdlan enhance soil cohesion and water retention in eco-grouting and erosion control. The novelty of this review lies in its interdisciplinary scope, integrating microbiological mechanisms, materials science, and engineering practice to highlight how bacterial processes can transition from laboratory models to real-world applications. By combining quantitative evidence with critical assessment of scalability, biosafety, and regulatory challenges, this paper provides a comprehensive framework that positions construction biotechnology as a transformative pathway towards low-carbon, adaptive, and resilient infrastructure systems.