Abstract

Exocultured biopolymers are ecofriendly soil-stabilisation agents with superior particle bonding, hydrogel-formation characteristics and zero endoculture duration. However, the use of exocultured biopolymers for enhancing soil resistance against surface erosion by water flow is yet to be investigated. Using erosion function apparatus (EFA) in combination with an ultrasonic P-wave reflection monitoring device, the effect of exocultured biopolymers on the erosion parameters of critical shear stress and the erodibility coefficient was examined in this study in soils with different particle distributions. In this way, biopolymer soil treatment showed a ten-fold increase in critical shear stress along with a 90% reduction in erodibility coefficient; results which could be attributed to enhanced particle-to-particle contact and increased pore-fluid viscosity and pore clogging. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of using exocultured biopolymers in mitigating surface erosion of erosion-prone soils.

Highlights

  • Soil scouring and erosion induced by flowing water tend to alter the stability of geotechnical engineering structures (Shirole & Holt, 1991; Pagán-Ortiz, 1998; Briaud et al, 2001)

  • The current study investigates the effects of two exocultured biopolymers – xanthan gum (XG) and starch – on the erosion resistance of soils

  • Regardless of soil type, biopolymer soil treatment (BST) caused a reduction in the rate of soil erosion

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Soil scouring and erosion induced by flowing water tend to alter the stability of geotechnical engineering structures (Shirole & Holt, 1991; Pagán-Ortiz, 1998; Briaud et al, 2001). {Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea (Orcid:0000-0002-1610-8281). §Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea (Orcid:0000-0001-8582-9237). While endocultured biopolymers have demonstrated a capacity for enhancing erosion resistance (Ham et al, 2016, 2018), the erosion behaviour of exocultured biopolymer-treated soil (BPTS) remains poorly understood

Methods
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (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