Geo-Congress 2020
Post-Fire Mudflow Prevention by Biopolymer Treatment of Water Repellent Slopes
Publication: Geo-Congress 2020: Biogeotechnics (GSP 320)
ABSTRACT
This paper investigates geomechanics of post-fire mudflows and proposes slope erosion prevention by treating the hydrophobic soil with a biopolymer. Exposure of organic matter in shallow soil layers to high temperatures produces gasses that make soil grain surface hydrophobic. Change in hydrological process, loss of vegetation, increase in the erosion rate, flooding, and recently seen catastrophic mudslides are consequences of post-fire water repellency in soils. This study uses experimental laboratory approaches to better understand the onset of soil erosion and fluid-particle interaction in a water repellent slope. Environmentally friendly xanthan gum is proposed to treat the hydrophobic sand with a hypothesis that the highly hydrophilic biopolymer powder will balance water repellency in hydrophobic soil. Rain simulation tests are conducted on natural, hydrophobic, and treated poorly graded fine sand. It is observed that the xanthan gum decreases the rate of erosion and consequently has a potential for reducing the risk of mudslides.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Financial support provided by the University of California San Diego and Qingdao Hengda Silane Technology Co.Lt., is gratefully acknowledged. The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and not the UCSD or Qingdao Hengda Silane Technology Co.,Ltd.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Geo-Congress 2020: Biogeotechnics (GSP 320)
Pages: 170 - 178
Editors: Edward Kavazanjian Jr., Ph.D., Arizona State University, James P. Hambleton, Ph.D., Northwestern University, Roman Makhnenko, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Aaron S. Budge, Ph.D., Minnesota State University, Mankato
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8283-4
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Feb 21, 2020
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Disaster risk management
- Disasters and hazards
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Environmental engineering
- Fires
- Geohazards
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Landslides
- Man-made disasters
- Materials engineering
- Pollution
- Polymer
- Slopes
- Soil mechanics
- Soil pollution
- Soil properties
- Soil treatment
- Soil water
- Synthetic materials
- Water treatment
Authors
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