No abstract

Abstract. This research was carried out in an attempt to know the physical properties of laterite soil with the appearance of difference percentage of sodium bentonite. Lateritic soils usually develop in tropical and other regions with similar hot and humid climate, where heavy rainfall, warm temperature and well drainage lead to the formation of thick horizons of reddish lateritic soil profiles rich in iron and aluminium. When sodium predominates, a large amount of water can be absorbed in the interlayer, resulting in the remarkable swelling properties observed with hydrating sodium bentonite. There are some basic physical properties test conducted in this research which are Specific Gravity Test, pH Test, Sieve Analysis, Hydrometer Test, Shrinkage Limit and Atterberg Limit. The test will be conducted with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of sodium bentonite. Each test will be repeated three times for the accuracy of the result. From the physical properties test the soil properties characteristic react with the sodium bentonite can be determine. Therefore the best percentage of sodium bentonite admixture can be determined for laterite soil. The outcomes of this study give positive results due to the potential of sodium bentonite to improve the laterite soil particle.

It is important to carry out this study since this type of marine clay covers large coastal area of west coast Malaysia. This type of marine clay was found on the main road connecting Klang to Perak and the road keeps experiencing undulation and uneven settlement which jeopardise the safety of the road users. The soil is indicated in the Generalised Soil Map of Peninsular Malaysia as a CLAY with alluvial soil on recent marine and riverine alluvium. Based on the British Standard Soil Classification and Plasticity Chart, the soil is classified as a CLAY with very high plasticity (CV). Results from laboratory test on physical properties and compressibility parameters show that Sabak Bernam Marine Clay (SBMC) is highly compressible, has low permeability and poor drainage characteristics. The compressibility parameters obtained for SBMC is in a good agreement with other researchers in the same field.

Soil liner which is placed at the foundation of a landfill is very important in order to isolate waste materials and leachate from the environment. However, if not properly managed, the leachate can beriskytothe safety and serviceability of which are directly related to the environment and public health issues. Soil liners were proposed to minimize leachate egress and prevent ground pollution. In soil liner design, it is important to compact the layer properly in order to achieve low hydraulic conductivity and high strength of soil. In this study, different percentages of sodium bentonite were added to laterite soil to act as soil liner to stabilize the liner system. Sodium bentonite can easily absorb water more than a hundred percent of its weight. Thus, the sodium bentonites were chosen to be mixed with laterite soil. The differentpercentagesof sodium bentonite used are 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. This research was carried out asan attempt to see the compaction effort for laterite soil mixedwith sodium bentonite. The outcomesof this study give positive results due to the potential of sodium bentonite to fulfill spaces in between soil particles. It is also found that sodium bentonite influences the resistance properties, hydraulic conductivity and the strength of soil.

This research focuses on the interface shear performance between geotextile and soil with various percentages of bentonite and sodium bentonite for landfill stability by using Direct Shear Test. Admixtures are mixed with clay to improve its performance as a liner material due to their ability to fill the voids between soil particles and also the most effective sealants. The aim of this study is focused on evaluating the effectiveness of bentonite and sodium bentonite on improving interface shear strength of fine soil. In this study, direct shear box was used to measure the interface shear strength of soil with different percentages of bentonite and sodium bentonite at optimum moisture content. Analysis shows that the most suitable percentage is of 5 % of bentonite and 2.5 % of sodium bentonite due to the highest interface shear strength of the mixture with geosynthetic. It is clearly shown that 2.5 % sodium bentonite is the most suitable percentage to be used as admixture for landfill stability as it gives higher interface shear strength.