An Investigation on the Potential of Cellulose for Soil Stabilization

Abstract

The construction industry remains a significant contributor to global carbon emissions. Several sustainable alternatives have emerged to overcome this issue in geotechnical engineering. In this study, cellulose, an abundant biopolymer, is investigated for its potential to modify geotechnical properties favourably. Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) is an anionic ether derivative of natural cellulose with good binding and moisture-retaining capacity. Experimental investigations were conducted on organic silt stabilized with 0.25% to 1.00% NaCMC, and the results indicate that unconfined compression strength (UCS) increased by 76.7% with 0.5% NaCMC treated soil after 28 days. Hydraulic conductivity (HC) of the 0.5% NaCMC treated soil decreased by 91.7% after 28 days, and the additives suppressed the compression index of the soil by 50%. The California bearing ratio (CBR) test indicated that the additive improved the subgrade strength by 33.2%, improving it from very poor to a fair sub-grade material. Microstructural analysis using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and chemical investigation using x-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates that NaCMC’s interaction with soil did not form any new chemical compounds. However, the viscous nature of the material formed fibrous threads that bind the soil to enhance the geotechnical properties, establishing itself as a prominent stabilizer for ground improvement applications.

Enhancing the Strength of Mine Residue Soil by Bioremediation Combined with Biopolymers

“…Ground improvement is a crucial aspect of geotechnical engineering, aimed at improving the mechanical properties and durability of soils [3,4]. There is a wide range of ground improvement techniques for multiple applications.…”

“…Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is a biopolymer derived from cellulose, a major component of plant cell walls, and on wooden barks of trees [3]. CMC is widely used in various industries [19] due to its high water-retaining capacity, adhesion, ability to change the viscosity of the system [7], and film-forming properties.…”

“…In soil stabilization, CMC acts as a binder and a water-retaining agent, filling the voids between soil particles and forming a cohesive matrix. These features result in reduced soil permeability and water infiltration rate [3,7,20], increased optimum water content and decreased maximum dry unit weight [10], and increased cohesion between particles, and therefore the strength and stiffness of the bio-stabilized soil [3,[19][20][21], which promotes vegetation growth and increases soil erosion resistance [20], contributing to the enhancement of soil properties [20]. Regarding the effect of CMC in contaminated soils, a field assessment of CMC-bridged chlorapatite microparticles was performed by Li and co-authors [22], who demonstrated the effectiveness, long-term stability, and mechanism of CMC in reducing the mobility of lead in contaminated soil, with the best results achieved at a CMC content of 0.5%.…”