Colloidal Silica Transport through Liquefiable Porous Media
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 135, Issue 11
Abstract
Mitigation of liquefaction potential in loose granular soil can theoretically be achieved through permeation and subsequent gelation of dilute colloidal silica stabilizer. However, practical application of this technique requires efficient and adequate delivery of the stabilizer to the liquefiable soil prior to gelation. The purpose of this research was to evaluate colloidal silica transport mechanisms and to determine if an adequate concentration can be delivered to a soil column prior to gelation. The laboratory work consisted of grouting 15 short (0.9 m) columns tests packed with Nevada No. 120, Ottawa 20/30, or graded silty sand to identify the variables that influence stabilizer transport through porous media. It was found that colloidal silica can be successfully delivered through 0.9-m columns packed with loose sand efficiently and in an adequate concentration to mitigate the liquefaction potential. Transport occurs primarily by advection with limited hydrodynamic dispersion, so Darcy’s law can be used to predict flow. The Kozeny-Carmen equation can be used to include the effect of increasing viscosity on transport by incorporating the power law mixing rule of Todd. The primary variables influencing stabilizer transport were found to be the viscosity of the colloidal silica stabilizer, the hydraulic gradient, and the hydraulic conductivity of the liquefiable soil.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the United States National Science Foundation Grant No. UNSPECIFIEDCMS-0219987. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States National Science Foundation.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 135 • Issue 11 • November 2009
Pages: 1702 - 1712
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Dec 28, 2007
Accepted: Apr 3, 2009
Published online: Oct 15, 2009
Published in print: Nov 2009
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