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Stabilization of Expansive Clayey Soil with Alkali Activated Binders

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Abstract

Expansive soil is predominantly impervious and exhibits dual nature (swelling/shrinkage) when exposed to moisture fluctuation. It is difficult to control the heave action which renders the loss of mechanical strength of such soils. The present study emphasizes on the stabilization of black cotton soil (BCS) using envirosafe alkali-activated binders (AAB) instead of traditional cement-based binders. Mineralogical and microstructural characterization for both untreated BCS and AAB-treated BCS are performed through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The influences of varying percentages of AAB at different curing periods are investigated through index and shear strength properties of treated BCS. The binder treatment shows a significant improvement in geoengineering properties and aids in enhancing the CBR and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) values of BCS. The reduction in swelling and plasticity index is attributed to mineral alteration due to treatment of BCS with AAB. This study may prove to be very effective in devising an economic technique to address the problems associated with BCS.

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Abbreviations

AAB:

Alkali activated binder

Al:

Aluminum

Al2O3 :

Aluminum oxide

ASTM:

American Society for Testing and Materials

Au:

Augite

BCS:

Black Cotton Soil

Ca:

Calcium

CC :

Coefficient of compressibility

CV :

Coefficient of consolidation

CBR:

California bearing ratio

CH:

Heavy clay

C02 :

Carbon dioxide

EDS:

Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy

Fe:

Iron

Fe2O3 :

Iron oxide

FSI:

Free swelling index

FTIR:

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

GGBS:

Ground-granulated blast-furnace slag

IRC:

Indian Road Congress

K:

Potassium

K1 :

Coefficient of permeability

K2O:

Potassium oxide

K.Br:

Potassium bromide

L.L:

Liquid Limit

LS:

Linear shrinkage

M:

Montmorillonite

MDD:

Maximum dry density

Mg:

Magnesium

Ms:

Muscovite

Mu:

Mullite

MV :

Coefficient of volume change

Na:

Sodium

NaOH:

Sodium hydroxide

NTPC:

National thermal power plant

OMC:

Optimum moisture content

P:

Portlandite

PI:

Plasticity index

PL:

Plastic limit

Q:

Quartz

S:

Hydroxy sodalite

Si:

Silica

SEM:

Scanning electron microscopy

SL:

Shrinkage limit

SSA:

Specific surface area

TiO2 :

Titanium dioxide

UCS:

Unconfined compressive strength

USCS:

Unified soil classification system

w/s:

Water to solid ratio

XRD:

X-ray diffraction

XRF:

X-ray fluorescence

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the central analytical laboratory facilities at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad campus for providing the necessary setup to conduct XRD, FTIR and SEM–EDS analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil Engineering Department, BITS-Pilani Hyderabad, Secunderabad, 500078, India

    Mazhar Syed, Anasua GuhaRay & Arkamitra Kar

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  1. Mazhar Syed
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  2. Anasua GuhaRay
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  3. Arkamitra Kar
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Correspondence to Anasua GuhaRay.

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Syed, M., GuhaRay, A. & Kar, A. Stabilization of Expansive Clayey Soil with Alkali Activated Binders. Geotech Geol Eng 38, 6657–6677 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-020-01461-9

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