Development of Alternative Stabilization Methods for Transportation Infrastructure Based on Geopolymers

¹ Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-0001
² Department of Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019-0001

^* Corresponding author: anand@uta.edu and mradovic@tamu.edu

Abstract

Current soil stabilization methods are often limited by durability and leaching issues and do not always offer sustainable treatments. This research explores the use of geopolymers to stabilize clays in the North Texas area. In recent years, geopolymer has received much attention as an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to conventional chemical additives, since it can be processed at room temperature from aqueous solutions by utilizing waste materials and/or abounded natural sources. Two subgrade soils from North Texas were treated with GP mix at a ratio of 8 wt% dry GP to dry soil. GP is shown to reduce swelling and shrinkage potential of soil considerably while an increase in unconfined compressive strength is observed as well. Therefore, further studies are recommended to understand the mechanism of GP and soil bonding resulting in said changes.