Evaluation of the static and dynamic behavior characteristics of biopolymer-treated soil at varying moisture contents

Abstract

Cement is widely used for ground strengthening; however, such applications have several adverse environmental effects, including increased carbon dioxide emissions and groundwater contamination. With a global focus on eco-friendliness, there is growing interest in the development of alternative ground strengthening materials. Biopolymers, which can be extracted from nature, are particularly suitable materials for this purpose owing to their ability to enhance the soil strength. Consequently, research based on ground strengthening using biopolymers is ongoing. However, few studies have been conducted on the water resistance properties and liquefaction resistance strengths of biopolymer-treated soils. Therefore, in this study, the strength changes and water resistance characteristics of soils treated with agar gum, gellan gum, and xanthan gum were evaluated at different moisture contents by means of unconfined compression tests. Furthermore, the liquefaction resistance strengths of the saturated biopolymer-treated soils were analyzed using cyclic triaxial tests. The results confirmed that the compressive strengths of the agar-gum-, gellan-gum-, and xanthan-gum-treated soils were affected by the final moisture content, regardless of the curing time. Moreover, the compressive strength of the submerged cured biopolymer-treated soils and the liquefaction resistance were compared and analyzed, demonstrating that agar-gum-, and gellan-gum-treated soils exhibit water resistance.