Investigating the geotechnical characteristics of improved marls improved with chitosan biopolymer

Authors

1 Islamic Azad University, Estahban Branch, Iran

2 Islamic Azad University, Estahban, Iran .

3 Department of Civil Engineering,, Zand Shiraz Higher Education University, Shiraz, Iran,

4 Department of geology, Estahban Branch, Islamic Azad University,Estahban,, Iran

Abstract

In the present study, the effect of chitosan biopolymer on the mechanical properties of marls was investigated. To this aim, different amounts of chitosan (0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08 and 0.16%) were mixed with soil and different samples were made to perform experiments. Then the samples were cured for 7 and 28 days and finally subjected to 0, 1, 4 and 8 freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles. Finally, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and direct shear tests were performed on the samples and variations of stress-strain, secant modulus, peak strain energy modulus, cohesion and internal friction angle were evaluated under different freeze-thaw cycles. The results showed that the marl soil alone had a diminutive strength equal to 180 kPa, especially after successive F-T cycles, so that after 8 cycles, its UCS reached about 90 kPa. However, the strength increases significantly in the samples stabilized with chitosan, so that in the sample containing 0.16 chitosan as the optimum composition, after 7 days of the curing period, the UCS reached about 409 kPa. According to the results obtained from Eu and E50 parameters for different samples, it was found that the addition of chitosan causes, in addition to greater stiffness, much more energy to break the sample. Moreover, the values of cohesion and internal friction angle for the optimum mixture after 7 days of curing were equal to 38.76 kPa and 21.07°, which was much higher than 21 kPa and 18.26° related to the initial marls.

Keywords

Main Subjects


Aguilar, R., Nakamatsu, J., Ramírez, E., Elgegren, M., Ayarza, J., Kim, S., Pando, M.A., Ortega-San-Martin, L., 2016. The potential use of chitosan as a biopolymer additive for enhanced mechanical properties and water resistance of earthen construction. Construction and Building Materials 114, 625-637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.03.218
Aiban, S.A., Wahhab, H.I.A.A., Al-Amoudi, O.S.B., Ahmed, H.R., 1998. Performance of a stabilized marl base: a case study. Construction and Building Materials 12(6-7), 329-340.         https://doi.org/10.1016/S0950-0618(98)00023-3
Al-Amoudi, O.S.B., Khan, K., Al-Kahtani, N.S., 2010. Stabilization of a Saudi calcareous marl soil. Construction and Building Materials 24(10), 1848-1854.                      https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2010.04.019
Ghazavi, M., Roustaie, M., 2010. The influence of freeze–thaw cycles on the unconfined compressive strength of fiber-reinforced clay. Cold Regions Science and Technology 61(2-3), 125-131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2009.12.005
Hataf, N., Ghadir, P., Ranjbar, N., 2018. Investigation of soil stabilization using chitosan biopolymer. Journal of Cleaner Production 170, 1493-1500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.09.256
Jalali-Milani, S., Asghari-Kaljahi, E., Barzegari, G., Hajialilue-Bonab, M., 2017. Consolidation deformation of Baghmisheh marls of Tabriz, Iran. Geomechnics and Engineering 12, 561-577, https://doi.org/10.12989/gae.2017.12.4.561
Kamari, A., Pulford, I., Hargreaves, J., 2011. Chitosan as a potential amendment to remediate metal contaminated soil—A characterisation study. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 82(1), 71-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2010.08.019
Kumar, M.N.R., 2000. A review of chitin and chitosan applications. Reactive and Functional Polymers 46(1), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1381-5148(00)00038-9
Lertsutthiwong, P., Boonpuak, D., Pungrasmi, W., Powtongsook, S., 2013. Immobilization of nitrite oxidizing bacteria using biopolymeric chitosan media. Journal of Environmental Sciences 25(2), 262-267. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1001-0742(12)60059-X
Ogata, N., 1985. Effect of freezing-thawing on the mechanical properties of soil. Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Ground Freezing. Yichang, China, 201-207.  https://doi.org /10.1371/journal.pone.0302409
Ouhadi, V., Yong, R., 2003. The role of clay fractions of marly soils on their post stabilization failure. Engineering Geology 70(3-4), 365-375. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-7952(03)00104-2
Qi, J., Zhang, J., Zhu, Y., 2003. Influence of freezing-thawing on soil structure and its soil mechanics significance. Chinese Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering 22(S2), 2690-2694.  DOI?
Salimi, M., Payan, M., Hosseinpour, I., Arabani, M., Ranjbar, P.Z., 2024. Effect of glass fiber (GF) on the mechanical properties and freeze-thaw (FT) durability of lime-nanoclay (NC)-stabilized marl clayey soil. Construction and Building Materials 416, 135227. DOI
Salimi, M., Ghorbani, A., 2020. Mechanical and compressibility characteristics of a soft clay stabilized by slag-based mixtures and geopolymers. Applied Clay Science 184, 105390.                          https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2019.105390.
Seco, A., Ramírez, F., Miqueleiz, L., García, B., Prieto, E., 2011. The use of non-conventional additives in Marls stabilization. Applied Clay Science 51(4), 419-423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2010.12.032
Shahsavani, S., Vakili, A.H., Mokhberi, M., 2021. Effects of freeze-thaw cycles on the characteristics of the expansive soils treated by nanosilica and Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) slag. Cold Regions Science and Technology 182, 103216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2020.103216
Shariatmadari, N., Reza, M., Tasuji, A., Ghadir, P., Javadi, A.A., 2020. Experimental study on the effect of chitosan biopolymer on sandy soil stabilization. In E3S Web of conferences 195, 06007. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202019506007
Sol-Sánchez, M., Castro, J., Ureña, C., Azañón, J., 2016. Stabilisation of clayey and marly soils using industrial wastes: pH and laser granulometry indicators. Engineering Geology 200, 10-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2015.11.008.
Soltani, A., Deng, A., Taheri, A., Sridharan, A., 2019. Swell-shrink-consolidation behavior of rubber-reinforced expansive soils. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ20170313
Tian, L., Yu, L., Liu, S., Zhang, B., 2020. Deformation research of silty clay under freeze-thaw cycles. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering 24, 435-442. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-020-0987-0
Vakili, A.H., Narimousa, R., Salimi, M., Farhadi, M.S., Dezh, M., 2019. Effect of freeze-thaw cycles on characteristics of marl soils treated by electroosmosis application. Cold Regions Science and Technology 167, 102861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2019.102861
Vakili, A.H., Salimi, M., Lu, Y., Shamsi, M., Nazari, Z., 2022. Strength and post-freeze-thaw behavior of a marl soil modified by lignosulfonate and polypropylene fiber: an environmentally friendly approach. Construction and Building Materials 332, 127364. https://doi.org 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.127364
Wan, M.W., Petrisor, I.G., Lai, H.T., Kim, D., Yen, T. F., 2004. Copper adsorption through chitosan immobilized on sand to demonstrate the feasibility for in situ soil decontamination. Carbohydrate Polymers 55(3), 249-254. https://doi.org /10.1016/j.carbpol.2003.09.009
Wang, D.y., Ma, W., Niu, Y.h., Chang, X., Wen, Z., 2007. Effects of cyclic freezing and thawing on mechanical properties of Qinghai–Tibet clay. Cold Regions Science and Technology 48(1), 34-43. https://doi.org /10.1016/j.coldregions.2006.09.008
Wang, J., Mignon, A., Trenson, G., Van Vlierberghe, S., Boon, N., De Belie, N., 2018. A chitosan based pH-responsive hydrogel for encapsulation of bacteria for self-sealing concrete. Cement and Concrete Composites 93, 309-322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2018.08.007.
Yarbaşı, N., Kalkan, E., Akbulut, S., 2007. Modification of the geotechnical properties, as influenced by freeze–thaw, of granular soils with waste additives. Cold Regions Science and Technology 48(1), 44-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2006.09.009.