Effect of Salt Solution in Electrochemical Stabilization with Variation of Potential Difference on Clay's Shear Strength

Abstract

Clay is one of the problematic soils in Indonesia, with a distribution in Java of close to 20% of surface pedology. The biggest problem with clay soil is its ability to swell when it absorbs water and shrink when the water content decreases. Indonesia's tropical climate, where only the rainy and dry seasons, significantly affects clay's swelling potential, hindering the soil's mechanical properties. The significant expansion potential causes the soil to have a slight shear angle, which affects its bearing capacity. This condition underlies the urgency of clay soil improvement to increase the shear strength of the soil. Electrochemical stabilization is one of the effective methods for soils with low permeability. This study aimed to determine the most optimum voltage in electrochemical stabilization using a salt solution. The electrochemical process is used in soil stabilization. This method is used to improve soils with low permeability and high plasticity index (18%), which results in increased bearing capacity and decreased soil development. This study was conducted with four different stress scenarios, and from the results of testing the mechanical properties of the soil, it was found that the greatest shear strength occurred at a stress of 12V. Stabilization of clay soil by electrochemistry can be inferred from the research to increase the value of soil shear strength and affect the increase in soil bearing capacity.