Laboratory testing stabilization of soils with organic constituents using acrylate, siloxane, and cement mortars

Introduction. Cement strengthening of the foundations has been studied fairly well. The advancements in technology and industry leads to the production of polymer materials (acrylate) and siloxane materials, the properties of which make them suitable for use in construction as waterproofing agents. Due to their gelation capability and ability to bind particles, these materials obtain high potential for applications aimed at enhancing soil properties, including those with organic constituents. However, the use of both cement mortars and chemical agents (acrylate, siloxane) for the stabilization of soils with organic constituents currently remains unregulated in existing normative documentation.

Aim. To investigate the potential for stabilization of soils with organic constituents using solutions based on cement, acrylates, and siloxanes.

Materials and methods. Laboratory studies utilized mixtures of peat and sands of varying granularity as the soil containing organic constituents. Cement mortars of types I, ITDV, IOTDV according to Russian State Standard R 59704-2021 (distinguished by their degree of fineness), as well as acrylate and siloxane were employed as the binding agents.

Results. The study determined specific strength values for cement strengthening in relation to the number of organic constituents. Stabilization using acrylate solutions revealed no binding effect on organic soils. In the case of sands devoid of organic content, acrylates were capable of binding soil particles; however, they failed to confer strength to the samples. Furthermore, the siloxane used in this study was found to be unsuitable as a binding agent for soils.

Conclusions. Future studies shall define the application and limitations of cement mortars for stabilizing soils containing organic constituents, as well as assess the impact of acrylic solutions on soil and their applicability for anti-permeability measures and soil liquefaction mitigation in seismically active regions. All conclusions drawn from laboratory investigations shall be validated through field studies and numerical modeling.

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