21 - The development of alkali-activated mixtures for soil stabilisation

Abstract

Soft soils present significant problems such as poor shear strengths and high compressibilities. Should such soils become contaminated, remediation is essential to prevent contaminants from migrating into local surroundings and damaging ecosystems. A popular technique for remediating such poor ground conditions is the use of chemical soil stabilisation. Since its development in the 1960s, binder materials that have traditionally been used for stabilising soils include lime and ordinary Portland cement. However, there is now a need to identify new more sustainable materials that are able to provide comparable or better performances than lime or cement, given their high financial and environmental costs. This chapter presents the most up-to-date literature on the development of alkali-activated mixtures as such sustainable alternatives.