Simultaneous influences of nanomaterial and fiber reinforcement on enhancing the mechanical performance of geopolymer stabilized soft clayey soils

Abstract

This study was designed to enhance the soft clayey soil treatment effects using an innovative mechanochemically activated geopolymer (GP) through the optimized inclusion of nano-metakaolin (NM) and polypropylene fiber. The study also investigated the possible improvements in the binding ability of GP stabilization under different curing regimes. To this end, binders including lime alone, LG (slag-based geopolymer), LGNM (nanomodified LG with NM) and LGNMF (LGNM/fiber) mixture were separately added to soft soil samples. The fabricated composites were then subjected to a set of macro and micro level tests. The results indicated that, adding LG binary with a 20% NM replacement can lead to a significant increase (by nearly 21 times) in soil strength and a remarkable decline (about 70%) in the compression index. In fact, NM can play a great role in accelerating the rate of hydration reactions and forming a densely packed fabric, which staggeringly improve the soil hydromechanical attributes. It was also observed that raising the curing temperature will effectively augment the polymerization kinetics, leading to a substantial increase (∼2 times) in the soil solidification process. However, the stabilized composites containing NM may reveal a brittle nature under more intense stress. Such a potential drawback seems to be resolved by the integration of fibers within the matrix. LGNM combined with fiber would boost (≥10 times) the energy absorption capacity of the soil, notably enhancing its residual strength. Overall, LGNMF may not only feature a broader range of benefits (inc. economic, technical, environmental) compared to traditional binders but also promote the ductility of the GP materials.

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