Abstract
In southeast China, slope with completely decomposed granite (CDG) soil is susceptible to landslide under heavy rainfall, due to the fissure-rich and slaking characteristics of this kind of soil. In this context, this study attempted to hydraulically improve the CDG soil in a low-carbon manner by using the composite of xanthan gum and guar gum (i.e., two different microbial biopolymers), as an alternative to cement. Hydraulic conductivity of the treated soil was measured using a tailer-made apparatus. Test result shows that the biopolymer content of 2% could lower the conductivity by over 1000 times, and the ratio of 1:1 between Xanthan and guar gums yielded the best performance in general. Application of composite biopolymer to the slope with weathered granitic soil was investigated using the finite element method simulation. Numerical result indicates that the treatment can eliminate the slope failure effectively under rainfall with a hundred-year return period.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
