جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه "enhanced durability" در نشریات گروه "فنی و مهندسی"

The cement-based stabilization/solidification (S/S) method is widely used in modifying soils polluted by heavy metals (HMs), although it may face technical, economic, and environmental limitations. Therefore, the present work was designed to investigate the effectiveness of a type of geopolymer based on the steel slag (SGP) and its combination with microparticles of zeolite (SGPZ), compared to cement (as a traditional additive), in enhancing the stability of S/S products. In so doing, different percentages (0 to 250 mg/g-soil) of SGP, SGPZ, and sole cement were separately added to the S/S samples containing different concentrations of lead (including 5000, 10000, 20000 and 40000 mg/kg-soil). After adequate curing (up to 28 days), a set of macro and micro scale experiments were performed to assess the long-term performance of the amended soil samples using a laboratory accelerated aging procedure that simulated 25, 50, 75 and 100 years of exposure to the acid rain and wet and dry (W-D) cycles in the field. It was found that, while low amounts of cement (PC) would greatly reduce the initial bioavailability of pollution in the pore fluid of soil, increasing the contact time of the PC-treated specimens upon harsh conditions, especially in the presence of high level of Pb, would dramatically diminish the efficiency of the precipitation mechanism as well as the degree of encapsulation process which play a significant role in increasing the ability of S/S sample to release the toxic ions stabilized/solidified previously. At simulated 100 years, the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure leached Pb from the PC-treated sample with 250 mg/g-soil binder would exceed the permitted threshold of pollution leaching (≥ 5 mg/L) by 508%, indicating that meeting the S/S regulation limits requires a large consumption of cement. The study showed that, unlike treatment conditions with the same level of PC, the use of novel cement-free S/S binders (especially SGPZ) would significantly limit the negative influences of the environmental changes on HM remobilization risks. In addition, the mechanical characteristics of those series of samples were sometimes up to 1.4 times higher than that of the soil modified with cement alone. Based on the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, this enhancement can be mainly due to i) reduction in the adverse HM-binder interactions, ii) intensification in the level of hydration reactions, iii) formation of secondary complex hydrated phases (e.g., Hydrotalcite: Mg6Al2CO3(OH)16.4H2O), and iv) creation of a three-dimensional network of solidification in the system containing geopolymer, wrapping the matrix of S/S products against the structure disintegration upon contact to the aggressive environments. Therefore, under the destroying impacts of acid attack and W-D scenario, adding 25% SGPZ composite could pass the S/S regulation limits. In general, based on the obtained results, the use of geopolymer (especially containing zeolite) is suggested as an effective and environmentally friendly alternative for sustainable soil improvement, even with the high contents of HM ions. Following the USEPA and UKAE standards to achieve the safe S/S performance, the optimal dosage of GP binder was determined to be approximately 6 mg/g-soil per 1 g/kg of lead in the sample.

In the present study, the effectiveness of a new combination of industrial wastes including calcium carbide residue (CCR) and silica-fume (SF) along with polypropylene fiber was investigated in comparison with cement for improving soft clays and increasing their durability. The results showed that in normal curing conditions, the use of CCR alone has little effect on the soil geo-mechanical performance. On the other hand, despite the initial favorable performance of cement, the W-D cycle with the failure of cement nanostructures can lead to the disturbance and even complete loss of the soil-bearing capacity. In contrast, the combination of CCR with SF had a prominent role in the stabilization process and a much lower deterioration potential was observed in the presence of the optimal ratio of CCR-SF. According to SEM-EDX and XRD analysis, expansion of solidification and reduction of voids were evaluated as the main factors of the more appropriate response of the recent system. Adding fiber to this series of samples had a significant effect on the growth of tensile strength, better absorption of energy, reduction of cracking ability, and as a result, improving the stability of the soil matrix. Following such a condition, the strength of the reinforced sample containing a 15% additive was found to be about 1.8 times the threshold allowed for successful stabilization. This can be attributed to the synergism of CCR-SF and fibers in improving the particle conjunction and reducing the access of voids for soil-water interaction. Based on the obtained results, the use of an optimal combination of CCR-SF with fiber can be recommended as a low-cost, environmentally friendly, and efficient option in improving the behavior of problematic soils and reducing their post-failure potential.