Preposition of a Key Parameter to Estimate the Compressive Strength of the Sand stabilized with Cement-Zeolite and Reinforced by Polypropylene Fibers

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Civil Engineering, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran

2 Department of Civil Engineering, Gonbad KavousUniversity, Gonbad Kavous, Iran

Abstract

Nowadays, partial cement replacement with natural pozzolans like zeolite and use of reinforcing agents such as fibers have been extensively used in the field of soil stabilization. In the current paper, the effects of incorporation of polypropylene fibers and zeolite in a typical cemented sand have been examined. A set of unconfined compression strength (UCS) tests considering three distinct porosities (related to Dr = 35, 50, 70 and 85% sand), four cement contents (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10%), six different percentages of cement replacement with zeolite (0, 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90%) and the fiber content (0.5% by weight of cement in the mixture) has been performed. Then, the amounts of improved unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the specimens as the result of zeolite and cement chemical properties have been estimated. Results indicate that the optimum amount of cement replacement by zeolite is 30%. Studies on zeolite-cement-sand mixtures reinforced by fibers have also shown that UCS improves in case cement content (C) and porosity (η) go up. Parameter (SiO2+Al2O3) which are active particles (AP) participate in the chemical reaction introduced and UCS-AP diagrams have been drawn. Afterwards, UCS has been plotted against η/AP which is considered as a controlling parameter of UCS. This experimental research and the parameter η^(-1.79) 〖AP〗^1.43 will introduce an acceptable description of mechanical properties. Finally, the effect of reinforcing agent in the mixture has been thoroughly studied through SEM analysis.

Keywords

References

[1] A. Dehghan, A. Hamidi, Triaxial shear behaviour of sand-gravel mixtures reinforced with cement and fibre, International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, 10(5) (2016) 510-520.
[2] Y.-S. Fang, Y. Chung, F. Yu, T. Chen, Properties of soil-cement stabilised with deep mixing method, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Ground Improvement, 5(2) (2001) 69-74.
[3] A. Khajeh, R. Jamshidi Chenari, M. Payan, A simple review of cemented non-conventional materials: soil composites, Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 38(2) (2020) 1019-1040.
[4] H. Mola-Abasi, M. Saberian, A. Kordnaeij, J. Omer, J. Li, P. Kharazmi, Predicting the stress-strain behaviour of zeolite-cemented sand based on the unconfined compression test using GMDH type neural network, Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology, 33(9) (2019) 945-962.
[5] H. Mola-Abasi, M. Saberian, J. Li, Prediction of compressive and tensile strengths of zeolite-cemented sand using porosity and composition, Construction and Building Materials, 202 (2019) 784-795.
[6] H. Mola-Abasi, I. Shooshpasha, Polynomial models controlling strength of zeolite-cement-sand mixtures, Scientia Iranica, 24(2) (2017) 526-536.
[7] S.-S. Park, Unconfined compressive strength and ductility of fiber-reinforced cemented sand, Construction and building materials, 25(2) (2011) 1134-1138.
[8] K. Roshan, A.J. Choobbasti, S.S. Kutanaei, Evaluation of the impact of fiber reinforcement on the durability of lignosulfonate stabilized clayey sand under wet-dry condition, Transportation Geotechnics, 23 (2020) 100359.
[9] H. Ahmadi, S. Janati, R. Jamshidi Chenari, Strength parameters of stabilized clay using polypropylene fibers and Nano-MgO: An experimental study, Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 38(3) (2020) 2845-2858.
[10] N.C. Consoli, B.S. Consoli, L. Festugato, A practical methodology for the determination of failure envelopes of fiber-reinforced cemented sands, Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 41 (2013) 50-54.
[11] J. Liu, Y. Bai, Z. Song, D.P. Kanungo, Y. Wang, F. Bu, Z. Chen, X. Shi, Stabilization of sand using different types of short fibers and organic polymer, Construction and Building Materials, 253 (2020) 119164.
[12] M. Maher, Y. Ho, Behavior of fiber-reinforced cemented sand under static and cyclic loads, Geotechnical Testing Journal, 16(3) (1993) 330-338.
[13] S.K. Patel, B. Singh, Strength and deformation behavior of fiber-reinforced cohesive soil under varying moisture and compaction states, Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 35(4) (2017) 1767-1781.
[14] C.-S. Tang, D.-Y. Wang, Y.-J. Cui, B. Shi, J. Li, Tensile strength of fiber-reinforced soil, Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 28(7) (2016) 04016031.
[15] H. Mola-Abasi, M. Saberian, S.N. Semsani, J. Li, A. Khajeh, Triaxial behaviour of zeolite-cemented sand, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Ground Improvement, 173(2) (2020) 82-92.
[16] B. Ahmadi, M. Shekarchi, Use of natural zeolite as a supplementary cementitious material, Cement and concrete composites, 32(2) (2010) 134-141.
[17] A. Bagherian, Mazandaran Roads Stabilization with Lime and Rice Husk Ash, in, Mazandaran University, Babol, Iran, 2003.
[18] T. Perraki, E. Kontori, S. Tsivilis, G. Kakali, The effect of zeolite on the properties and hydration of blended cements, Cement and Concrete Composites, 32(2) (2010) 128-133.
[19] C.S. Poon, L. Lam, S. Kou, Z. Lin, A study on the hydration rate of natural zeolite blended cement pastes, Construction and building materials, 13(8) (1999) 427-432.
[20] A.H. Ören, A. Kaya, A.Ş. Kayalar, Hydraulic conductivity of zeolite–bentonite mixtures in comparison with sand–bentonite mixtures, Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 48(9) (2011) 1343-1353.
[21] F. Joanna, G. Kazimierz, Evaluation of zeolite-sand mixtures as reactive materials protecting groundwater at waste disposal sites, Journal of Environmental Sciences, 25(9) (2013) 1764-1772.
[22] A. Ramezan Pour, Zeolite and its Effect on Paste Resistance and Transition Area, in:  Fourth National Concrete Conference of Iran
Tehran, 2011.
[23] H. Mola-Abasi, S.N. Semsani, M. Saberian, A. Khajeh, J. Li, M. Harandi, Evaluation of the long-term performance of stabilized sandy soil using binary mixtures: A micro-and macro-level approach, Journal of Cleaner Production, 267 (2020) 122209.
[24] H. Mola-Abasi, A. Khajeh, S. Naderi Semsani, Effect of the ratio between porosity and SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 on tensile strength of zeolite-cemented sands, Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 30(4) (2018) 04018028.
[25] N.C. Consoli, L. da Silva Lopes Jr, D. Foppa, K.S. Heineck, Key parameters dictating strength of lime/cement-treated soils, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Geotechnical Engineering, 162(2) (2009) 111-118.
[26] N.C. Consoli, L. Festugato, C.G. da Rocha, R.C. Cruz, Key parameters for strength control of rammed sand–cement mixtures: Influence of types of portland cement, Construction and Building Materials, 49 (2013) 591-597.
[27] N.C. Consoli, D. Foppa, L. Festugato, K.S. Heineck, Key parameters for strength control of artificially cemented soils, Journal of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, 133(2) (2007) 197-205.
[28] D. ASTM, Standard Test Methods for Specific Gravity of Soil solids by Water Pycnometer, 2005.
[29] D. ASTM, Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using Standard Effort (12,400 ft-lbf/ft3 (600 kN-m/m3)), ASTM international
2012.
[30] D. ASTM, Standard test method for particle-size analysis of soils, ASTM international, 2007.
[31] D. ASTM, Standard Test Methods for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index of Soils, 2005.
[32] H. Mola-Abasi, B. Kordtabar, A. Kordnaeij, Effect of natural zeolite and cement additive on the strength of sand, Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 34(5) (2016) 1539-1551.
[33] R. Ladd, Preparing test specimens using undercompaction, Geotechnical testing journal, 1(1) (1978) 16-23.
[34] P. Jamsawang, T. Suansomjeen, P. Sukontasukkul, P. Jongpradist, D.T. Bergado, Comparative flexural performance of compacted cement-fiber-sand, Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 46(4) (2018) 414-425.
[35] D. ASTM, Standard Test Method for for Unconfined Compressive Strength of Cohessive Soil, 1985.
[36] A. Khajeh, H. Mola-Abasi, S. Naderi Semsani, Parameters controlling tensile strength of zeolite-cemented sands, Sci Iran Trans A, Civ Eng,  (2017).
[37] H. Mola-Abasi, I. Shooshpasha, Influence of zeolite and cement additions on mechanical behavior of sandy soil. J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 8: 746–752, in, 2016.
AUT Journal of Civil Engineering
Volume 7, Issue 2
June 2023
Pages 93-108

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics