• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제12권6호
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• pp.935-948
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• 2017

An experimental program was conducted to investigate the effects of the static compaction pressure, cement content, water/cement ratio, and curing time on unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the cement treated sand. UCS were conducted on samples prepared with 4 different cement/sand ratios and were compacted under the lowest and highest static pressures (8 MPa and 40 MPa). Each sample was cured for 7 and 28 days to observe the impact of curing time on UCS of cement treated samples. Results of the study showed the unconfined compressive strength of sand increased as the cement content (5% to 10%) of the cement-sand mixture and compaction pressure (8 MPa to 40 MPa) increased. UCS of sand soil increased 30% to 800% when cement content was increased from 2.5% to 10%. Impact of compaction pressure on UCS decreased with a reduction in cement contents. On the other hand, it was observed that as the water content the cement-sand mixture increased, the unconfined compressive strength showed tendency to decrease regardless of compaction pressure and cement content. When the curing time was extended from 7 days to 28 days, the unconfined compressive strengths of almost all the samples increased approximately by 2 or 3 times.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제12권5호
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• pp.785-801
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• 2017

Biopolymer treatment of geomaterials to develop sustainable geotechnical systems is an important step towards the reduction of global warming. The cutting edge technology of biopolymer treatment is not only environment friendly but also has widespread application. This paper presents the strength and slake durability characteristics of biopolymer-treated sand sampled from Al-Sharqia Desert in Oman. The specimens were prepared by mixing sand at various proportions by weight of xanthan gum biopolymer. To make a comparison with conventional methods of ground improvement, cement treated sand specimens were also prepared. To demonstrate the effects of wetting and drying, standard slake durability tests were also conducted on the specimens. According to the results of strength tests, xanthan gum treatment increased the unconfined strength of sand, similar to the strengthening effect of mixing cement in sand. The slake durability test results indicated that the resistance of biopolymer-treated sand to disintegration upon interaction with water is stronger than that of cement treated sand. The percentage of xanthan gum to treat sand is proposed as 2-3% for optimal performance in terms of strength and durability. SEM analysis of biopolymer-treated sand specimens also confirms that the sand particles are linked through the biopolymer, which has increased shear resistance and durability. Results of this study imply xanthan gum biopolymer treatment as an eco-friendly technique to improve the mechanical properties of desert sand. However, the strengthening effect due to the biopolymer treatment of sand can be weakened upon interaction with water.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.41-51
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• 2023

Cementitious materials such as Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), fly ash, lime, and bitumen have been employed for soil improvement over the years. However, due to the environmental concerns associated with the use of OPC, substituting OPC with calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement offers good potential for ground improvement because it is more eco-friendly. Although earlier research has investigated the stabilizing effects of CSA cement-treated sand, no attempt has been made to examine soil behavior under high confining pressure. As a result, this study aimed to investigate the shear strength and mechanical behavior of CSA cement-treated sand using a consolidated drained (CD) triaxial test with high confining pressure. The microstructure of the examined sand samples was investigated using scanning electron microscopy. This study used sand with CSA cement contents of 3%, 5%, and 7% and confining pressures of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 MPa. It revealed that the confining pressures and CSA cement content significantly affected the stress-strain and volumetric change behavior of CSA cement-treated sand at high confining pressures.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.409-422
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• 2022

The use of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement as a rapid-hardening cement admixture or eco-friendly alternate for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) has been attempted over the years, but the cost of CSA cement and availability of suitable aluminium resource prevent its wide practical application. To propose an effective ground improvement design in sandy soil, this study aims at blending a certain percentage of CSA with OPC to find an optimum blend that would have fast-setting behavior with a lower carbon footprint than OPC without compromising the mechanical properties of the cemented sand. Compared to the 100% CSA case, initial speed of strength development of blended cement is relatively low as it is mixed with OPC. It is found that 80% OPC and 20% CSA blend has low initial strength but eventually produces equivalent ultimate strength (28 days curing) to that of CSA treated sand. The specific OPC-CSA blend (80:20) exhibits significantly higher strength gain than using pure OPC, thus allowing effective geotechnical designs for sustainable and controlled ground improvement. Further parametric studies were conducted for the blended cement under various curing conditions, cement contents, and curing times. Wet-cured cement treated sand had 33% lower strength than that of dry-cured samples, while the stiffness of wet-cured samples was 25% lower than that of dry-cured samples.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.41-48
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• 2021

In cold regions, the integrity of the infrastructures built on weak soils can be extensively damaged by weathering actions due to the cyclic freezing and thawing. This damage can be mitigated by exploiting soil stabilization techniques. Generally, ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is the most commonly used binding material for investigating the chemo-hydromechanical behavior. However, due to the environmental issue of OPC producing a significant amount of carbon dioxide emission, calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement can be used as one of the eco-sustainable alternatives. Although recently several studies have examined the strength development of CSA treated sand, no research has been concerned about CSA cement-stabilized sand affected by cyclic freeze and thaw. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive laboratory work to assess the effect of the cyclic freeze-thaw action on strength and durability of CSA cement-treated sand. For this purpose, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) tests were performed on the stabilized soil specimens cured for 7 and 14 days which are subjected to 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 freeze-thaw cycles. The test results show that the strength and durability index of the samples decrease with the increase of the freeze-thaw cycles. The loss of the strength and durability considerably decreases for all soil samples subjected to the freeze-thaw cycles. Overall, the use of CSA as a stabilizer for sandy soils would be an eco-friendly option to achieve sufficient strength and durability against the freeze-thaw action in cold regions.

• 한국건축시공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국건축시공학회 2019년도 추계 학술논문 발표대회
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• pp.151-152
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• 2019

This study is aimed at comparing the effect of cement mortar made of sulfuric acid treated ISO standard sand with that of cement mortar made of normal ISO standard sand. In the water absorption test, water absorption of standard sand increases with the increase of immersion time in sulfuric acid solution. The results show that at the water cement ratio of 0.5, the longer the standard sand is immersed in sulfuric acid, the greater the compressive strength of the cement mortar sample.

• 한국지반공학회논문집
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.65-73
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• 2013

본 연구에서는 미생물 용액과 염화칼슘 수용액의 반응에 의해서 생성되는 탄산칼슘을 통해 연약지반(모래)의 고결화 및 주입 효과를 확인하고자 하였다. 미생물의 탄산칼슘 고결화 효과를 분석하기 위해 5가지 case(무처리, 시멘트 2%, 시멘트 4%, 시멘트 2% + 미생물 반응에 의한 탄산칼슘 2%, 미생물 반응에 의한 탄산칼슘 4%)를 실험하였다. $D\;5cm{\times}H\;10cm$ 공시체로 성형하여 일축압축강도를 측정하였으며, $D\;6cm{\times}H\;12cm$ 공시체에 연약지반을 형성하여 바이오그라우팅 주입 실험을 진행하였다. 그 결과, 시멘트 2% + 미생물 반응에 의한 탄산칼슘 2%에서 가장 높은 일축압축강도를 나타냈으며, 이는 무처리에 비해 약 1.5배 정도 강도가 증가하는 경향을 보였고, 주입실험의 경우 배수 조건의 장비주입(Air Compressor)을 통해 주입한 실험에서 효과가 뛰어났다.

• 한국지반신소재학회논문집
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.19-29
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• 2017

시멘트-점토-모래 혼합토의 휨성능 개선을 위하여 합성섬유를 이용해서 보강한 섬유보강토에 대한 휨성능 시험을 실시하였다. 시멘트, 모래, 그리고 섬유가 혼합토의 휨성능에 미치는 영향을 평가하기 위하여 시멘트량(15%, 20%, 25%), 모래함량(0%, 10%, 20%), 섬유의 종류(PP, PVA)와 길이(6mm, 12mm), 섬유혼입량(0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%)을 조합하여 시험편을 제작하였다. 본 연구의 결과 시멘트 개량토를 섬유를 이용해서 보강하면 휨강도와 휨인성이 개선되는 효과를 확인할 수 있었다. 휨성능 시험 결과에 대한 다중선형회귀분석 결과 시멘트량과 모래함량은 휨강도에 영향을 미치는 주요 인자인 것으로 나타났고, 반면에 섬유혼입량은 균열발생 후의 거동에 영향을 미치는 주요 인자인 것으로 나타났다.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제89권4호
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• pp.349-362
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• 2024

High-performance fiber-reinforced cement composites (HPFRCC) are new materials created and used to repair, strengthen, and improve the performance of different structural parts. When exposed to tensile tension, these materials show acceptable strain-hardening. All of the countries of the globe currently seem to have a need for these building materials. This study aims to create a low-carbon HPFRCC (high ductility) that is made from materials that are readily available locally which has the right mechanical qualities, especially an increase in tensile strain capacity and environmental compatibility. In order to do this, the effects of fiber volume percent (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%), and determining the appropriate level, filler type (limestone powder and silica sand), cement type (ordinary Portland cement, and limestone calcined clay cement or LC3), matrix hardness, and fiber type (ordinary and oxygen plasma treated polypropylene fiber) were explored. Fibers were subjected to oxygen plasma treatment at several powers and periods (50 W and 200 W, 30, 120, and 300 seconds). The influence of the above listed factors on the samples' three-point bending and direct tensile strength test results has been examined. The results showed that replacing ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) in mixtures reduces the compressive strength, and increases the tensile strain capacity of the samples. Furthermore, using oxygen plasma treatment method (power 200 W and time 300 seconds) enhances the bonding of fibers with the matrix surface; thus, the tensile strain capacity of samples increased on average up to 70%.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제12권5호
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• pp.831-847
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• 2017

Conventional geotechnical engineering soil binders such as ordinary cement or lime have environmental issues in terms of sustainable development. Thus, environmentally friendly materials have attracted considerable interest in modern geotechnical engineering. Microbial biopolymers are being actively developed in order to improve geotechnical engineering properties such as aggregate stability, strength, and hydraulic conductivity of various soil types. This study evaluates the geotechnical engineering shear behavior of sand treated with xanthan gum biopolymer through laboratory direct shear testing. Xanthan gum-sand mixtures with various xanthan gum content (percent to the mass of sand) and gel phases (initial, dried, and re-submerged) were considered. Xanthan gum content of 1.0% sufficiently improves the inter-particle cohesion of cohesionless sands 3.8 times and more (up to 14 times for dried state) than in the untreated (natural) condition, regardless of the xanthan gum gel condition. In general, the strength of xanthan gum-treated sand shows dependency with the rheology and phase of xanthan gum gels in inter-granular pores, which decreases in order as dried (biofilm state), initial (uniform hydrogel), and re-submerged (swollen hydrogel after drying) states. As xanthan gum hydrogels are pseudo-plastic, both inter-particle friction angle and cohesion of xanthan gum-treated sand decrease with water adsorbed swelling at large strain levels. However, for 2% xanthan gum-treated sands, the re-submerged state shows a higher strength than the initial state due to the gradual and non-uniform swelling behavior of highly concentrated biofilms.