Mechanical strength investigation of chemically reinforced sandy soil using organic copolymers for geotechnical engineering applications

Mohan Raj Krishnan, Edreese Housni Alsharaeh

Article ID: 5170
Vol 7, Issue 1, 2024

VIEWS - 76 (Abstract) 39 (PDF)

Abstract


The chemical reinforcement of sandy soils is usually carried out to improve their properties and meet specific engineering requirements. Nevertheless, conventional reinforcement agents are often expensive; the process is energy-intensive and causes serious environmental issues. Therefore, developing a cost-effective, room-temperature-based method that uses recyclable chemicals is necessary. In the current study, poly (styrene-co-methyl methacrylate) (PS-PMMA) is used as a stabilizer to reinforce sandy soil. The copolymer-reinforced sand samples were prepared using the one-step bulk polymerization method at room temperature. The mechanical strength of the copolymer-reinforced sand samples depends on the ratio of the PS-PMMA copolymer to the sand. The higher the copolymer-to-sand ratio, the higher the sample’s compressive strength. The sand (70 wt.%)-PS-PMMA (30 wt.%) sample exhibited the highest compressive strength of 1900 psi. The copolymer matrix enwraps the sand particles to form a stable structure with high compressive strengths.


Keywords


sand; copolymer; polystyrene; polymethyl methacrylate; soil reinforcement; geotechnical

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jpse.v7i1.5170

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