Strength and Durability of Granular Soil Stabilized with FA-GGBS Geopolymer
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33, Issue 6
Abstract
Granular soils are sensitive to internal erosion due to the presence of lesser fines and need to be stabilized to improve their geoengineering properties. An investigation is made to explore the efficacy of fly ash-slag (FA-GGBS) geopolymer in stabilizing granular soil through a set of experimental studies. The experimental program focused on compaction characteristics, unconfined compressive strength, bearing resistance, and durability of geopolymer stabilized granular soil to assess its suitability as a construction material. Microstructural analysis has been carried out and correlated with strength development. Based on the test results, a maximum unconfined compressive strength of about 7 MPa and California bearing ratio (CBR) ranging from 52% to 416% is obtained. The geopolymer stabilized soil showed excellent stability against wetting–drying and freezing–thawing cycles, slaking water, and aggressive chemical environments. The microstructural developments are greatly influenced by the geopolymer content and curing period, indicating the formation of hydration and geopolymeric reaction products.
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Data Availability Statement
Data generated and analyzed during the study appear in the published paper.
Acknowledgments
This study was carried out at National Institute of Technology Rourkela, India, under the authority of the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Government of India.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33 • Issue 6 • June 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 17, 2019
Accepted: Nov 4, 2020
Published online: Mar 26, 2021
Published in print: Jun 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Aug 26, 2021
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