Solidification of Subgrade Materials Using Magnesium Alkalinization: A Sustainable Additive for Construction
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 30, Issue 10
Abstract
The stabilization of problematic soils with chemical additives has become a popular practice globally. However, the mechanical and microstructural characterization of subgrade materials stabilized by alkalinization of raw silty sand, a common soil in British Columbia, Canada, has not yet been studied. This study introduces the novel concept of using an alkaline activator, along with magnesium chloride (), to activate the silica and alumina components of silty sand. Compaction and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests were used to assess the mechanical properties of the stabilized soil. The mechanisms that have contributed to the stabilization process are discussed based on the results of microstructural analysis using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. It was found that the chemical additive improved the compressive strength of the soil significantly. The UCS results revealed that a sample mixture containing an alkaline activator (sodium silicate/sodium hydroxide) ratio of 0.5, an alkaline activator to () ratio of 0.7, and 3% by dry weight of the soil was the optimum mix to improve the strength of the silty sand when cured for 28 days. The FTIR result confirmed the formation of the magnesium hydration products. Additionally, the SEM images and EDS data revealed that the stabilization process produced a cementitious gel, consisting of magnesium silicate hydrate (M-S-H) and magnesium aluminate hydrate (M-A-H) compounds, that bonded soil particles together.
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Acknowledgments
The first author is grateful to the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, for the Ph.D. scholarship. The first author also wishes to acknowledge Fred Liu and Mackenzie Grigg, undergraduate research students, for their support in preparing and testing the UCS samples. The corresponding author would like to acknowledge the funding support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants Program (Grant No. 62R09724) and NSERC ENGAGE Grants Program (Grant No. 62R72677) for this research.
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Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 30 • Issue 10 • October 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 24, 2017
Accepted: Apr 27, 2018
Published online: Jul 20, 2018
Published in print: Oct 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Dec 20, 2018
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