Abstract
Stabilization is a traditional strategy used to improve soils with the main objective of ensuring that this base is compliant with the technical specifications required for the subsequent development of different infrastructures. This study proposes the use of commercial nanomaterials, based on a solution of silicates, to improve the technical characteristics and bearing capacity of the expansive soil. A physical–chemical property study was carried out on the additive nanomaterial. Subsequently, different mixtures of expansive soil, selected soil and artificial gravel with quicklime and commercial nanomaterials were developed to evaluate the improvement obtained by the use of nanomaterials in the technical characteristics of the soil. Compressive strength and the Californian Bearing Ratio index were considerably increased. A full-scale study was carried out in which the nanomaterial product was applied to two different sections of stabilized road compared to a control section. The results obtained showed that the use of nanomaterial led to the possibility of reducing the control section by 30 cm, thus achieving less use of quicklime and a mechanical means for preparing the road section. The use of commercial nanomaterial improved the behavior of the stabilized sub-base layer. Through life cycle assessment, this study has shown that the use of nanomaterials reduces the environmental impact associated with soil stabilization.
Highlights
The use of stabilization techniques has increased significantly in recent decades due to new construction sites, which are increasingly located in poor quality land areas
According to the results obtained, the environmental impacts generated by Alternative section 1 and Alternative section 2 were lower in almost all categories as a consequence of the lower amount of artificial gravel, expansive clay soil and water required in its composition
In this study an analysis was developed on the influence of the application of a nanomaterial on the stabilization of expansive clay soils
Summary
The use of stabilization techniques has increased significantly in recent decades due to new construction sites, which are increasingly located in poor quality land areas. The use of these traditional materials has certain disadvantages, such as high CO2 emissions in their production, high energy consumption and high cost They can damage certain soil properties and, with their use, it is difficult to reduce the section of soil stabilized to comply with the required technical properties. Among the most common chemical agents for stabilization, apart from lime and cement, numerous previous investigations have studied the application of sodium silicate, considering this method of stabilization as non-traditional. The use of nano-SiO2 for soil stabilization has a significant influence on the microstructure and the physical and chemical properties of soils [24], in addition to improving their compaction density [25,26,27]. Through the life cycle assessment (LCA) performed, the possible environmental impact reduction associated with the use of nanomaterials as a viable and sustainable solution in soil stabilization was verified
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