Laboratory Investigation into the Stabilization of Dispersive Clay Using Ionized Material: Engineering Performance and Environmental Efficiency
Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
- Department of Civil Engineering, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Dispersive clays present significant challenges in civil engineering due to their high erodibility and poor structural stability. In recent years, chemical stabilization has emerged as an effective, economical, and environmentally sustainable method for improving the behavior of such problematic soils. This study investigates the effectiveness of an eco-friendly stabilizer known as Ionized Material (IM) and commercially known as Royal Road Product in enhancing the engineering properties of dispersive clay. Initially, the physical and chemical characteristics of the untreated soil were assessed. Subsequently, a series of laboratory experiments, including the pinhole test, standard Proctor compaction test, and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test, were conducted to evaluate the influence of varying IM dosages and curing periods on soil performance. The results indicate that a 0.0345% concentration of IM eliminated the soil’s dispersivity after seven days of curing. Moreover, the maximum dry density increased, while the optimum moisture content decreased with higher IM concentrations. The UCS also exhibited substantial improvement: at an IM concentration of 0.0498%, UCS increased from 0.73 kg/cm² in the untreated sample to 0.905 kg/cm² without curing (a 24% increase), and to 2.32 kg/cm² after seven days of curing (a 47% increase).
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