[Objective] The strength characteristics and underlying mechanical mechanisms of expansive soil treated with microbially induced calcite precipitation （MICP） remain insufficiently understood. Investigating the effect of varying calcium ion concentration on the strength of MICP-treated expansive soil can provide critical guidance for its engineering applications. [Methods] Sporosarcina pasteurii （CGMCC 1.3687） was selected for microbial solidification using the mixing method. This study systematically investigated the mechanism by which different calcium ion concentrations—the core variable—affect the strength characteristics of treated expansive soil. Through a series of consolidated quick shear tests， the relationship between calcium ion concentration and strength parameters was analyzed to elucidate the mechanism by which regulating calcium carbonate formation enhances soil strength. [Results] The results indicate that MICP treatment significantly enhances the shear strength of expansive soil， altering its mechanical behavior from the strain-hardening mode of untreated soil to a dual-mode response： strain-softening under low confining pressure and strain-hardening under high confining pressure. Soil treated with Ca²⁺ solution exhibited higher shear strength than the untreated control. Specifically， cohesion （c） and the internal friction angle （ϕ） followed a unimodal trend with increasing Ca²⁺ concentration， peaking at 1.5 mol/L （c=42.5 kPa， ϕ=18.4°）. This represents a 269.6% increase in cohesion and a 10.2% increase in the internal friction angle. A concentration of 1.5 mol/L was identified as optimal， maximizing calcium carbonate yield and cementation. Lower concentrations resulted in insufficient Ca²⁺， while higher concentrations inhibited bacterial activity； both scenarios reduced calcium carbonate production and soil strength. [Conclusions] This study confirms that MICP technology significantly improves the strength of expansive soil. The strengthening mechanism is attributed to a significant positive correlation between calcium carbonate content and strength indices.