Mechanisms of Soil Stabilization with Liquid Ionic Stabilizer

Abstract

Numerous commercial suppliers are marketing liquid chemical products for stabilizing pavement subgrade and base soils. These nontraditional chemical stabilizers may offer viable alternatives for stabilizing sulfate-rich soils where conventional lime or cement treatment can lead to excessive soil expansion. Typically sold as concentrated liquids that are diluted in water before application, these products may be less expensive to use than lime or cement. However, many transportation agencies are hesitant to specify nontraditional liquid stabilizers without better information on the stabilizing mechanisms and documented field experiences. To identify the mechanisms associated with one class of these products, a representative ionic soil stabilizer and a sodium montmorillonite clay were selected for a detailed physical-chemical study. Laboratory testing included chromatography, spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and standard titration analyses. These tests have shown that the principal active constituents of the selected ionic stabilizer are d-limonene (a by-product of citrus processing) and sulfuric acid, which react to form a concentrated, low-pH solution of sulfonated limonene. The observed changes in clay chemistry following treatment indicated that this product would stabilize a soil by altering the clay lattice. The result is the formation of a more highly weathered, less-expansive clay structure. On the basis of this understanding of the underlying mechanisms, ionic stabilizers applied at sufficiently high application mass ratios may improve the properties of certain soils on some highway construction projects.

Time-dependent physicochemical characteristics of Malaysian residual soil stabilized with magnesium chloride solution

“…On the other hand, it was clear that for the samples treated with higher MgCl 2 content (more than 5 %), a lower compressive strength was achieved. This was probably due to the increase in the positive surcharge and the subsequent repulsion of soil particles inside the mixture Tingle and Santoni 2003;Katz et al 2001;Rauch et al 2002;Tingle et al 1989). The degradation of strength could also have been due to the amount of alkaline stabilizer (pH value=10), which exceeded the requirement for chemical reaction in the samples Sukmak et al 2013).…”

Mixing Methods Evaluation of a Styrene-Acrylic Based Liquid Polymer for Sand and Clay Stabilization

“…These soil stabilizers, although performing satisfactorily in general, have shown some limitations in some situations. For instance, if the soil has excessive sulfate minerals, the reaction between calcium and sulfate will form a mineralettringite (Ca 6 [Al(OH) 6 ]2·(SO 4 ) 3 ·26H 2 O), which causes strength reduction and significant expansion of the soil, which is a commonly reported problem (Mitchell 1986;Katz et al 2001). Besides, the cementitiously stabilized soils are usually very brittle and prone to cracking due to shrinkage or dynamic loading (Little 1992;Sebesta 2005;Li 2014), which greatly lessens the durability and increases the maintenance cost of many applications.…”

Strength of a clay soil and soil–cement mixture with resin

“…They found that the value of California bearing ratio (CBR) for a mixture of clay and silt increased when treated with 4% epoxy resin agent. Katz et al (2001) and Rauch et al (2002) investigated the effect of three non-traditional agents on treatment of a clay soil. Rauch et al (2002) indicated that there was no significant improving effect of agents (enzymes) on the Atterberg limits, compacted density, shear strength or swell potential, while Katz et al (2001) reported only minor changes in the mechanical behaviour of the soil.…”