Experimental Study of Nanometer Magnesium Oxide-Modified Clay

Abstract

Nanometer magnesium oxide (NM) is used as a new type of additive for clay. Laboratory tests were performed on clay samples to study the mechanism of NM soil reinforcement. Different NM contents (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 6% by weight of clay) were freely added to the soil samples, which included different water contents (10%, 16%, and 22%). Eighteen samples were prepared, and unconfined compressive strength tests were carried out. The results show that the unconfined compressive strength of the soil samples increases with NM content and decreases with higher soil water content. The addition of 6% NM to clay soil can significantly improve the strength and stability of the soil. Our study shows that NM can increase the cementation, pore filling, and water sorption of the soil particles, which contributes to significant enhancement of the solidification effect.