Electrokinetics: Engineering Applications and Recent Development

Electrokinetics (EK) is the general term used to describe responses of soil water systems to the application of an external electric field, which includes three predominant components, i.e. electro-osmosis, electrophoresis and electrochemical reactions. Electro-osmosis generates water flow in soil mass, electrophoresis induces movement of soil solids and electrochemical reactions lead to emission of oxygen and hydrogen gases, corrosion of anodes, and pH gradients in soil. Although electrokinetics has been studied over more than a century, the recent advances of anode technology have made electrokinetics a viable tool in geo-engineering. The applications of electrokinetics in geotechnical engineering and recent development of electrical vertical drains are reviewed in this paper. It is demonstrated that with solid understanding to principles, sound engineering design and proper implementation and execution, electrokinetics can provide viable solutions for challenges facing today's geotechnical engineers.