Utilization of Ionic Organic Polymer to Improve Performance and Properties of Problematic Soils

Abstract

Problematic soils with high compressibility and low shear strength are often treated with traditional chemical stabilizing additives such as cement and lime to improve their engineering properties. Polymers were employed to improve and reinforce a variety of material qualities in a wide range of applications. The use of polymer SBS (stabilizer base stabilizer) to improve the characteristics of problematic soils is discussed in this research. Two types of soils were used. The first type, "soil A Burj," is collapsible soil and was collected from Burj El-Arab city, while the second type, "soil B Dam," is fine sand and was obtained from Damietta city. The untreated and treated samples were subjected to sieve analysis, hydrometer, liquid limits, standard compaction, collapse potential (CP), direct shear, California Bearing Ratio (CBR) testing, and SEM, TEM, chemical, and microstructural analysis tests. Three different polymer SBS concentrations in water were used (1:300, 1:150, and 1:10). The results showed that by adding the polymer SBS, LL and OWC decreased exhibiting more plastic behavior compared to the non-treated samples. Also, the CP decreased with adding the polymer SBS, and the degree of collapsibility was enhanced from trouble to moderate trouble condition. The shear strength, internal friction angle, and CBR value were also improved. In summary, the best results were produced when a polymer ratio of 1:150 was used and a curing time of at least 28 days was provided. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-12-05 Full Text: PDF