Effect of polypropylene fibers and silica nano colloids on stabilized soft soil under melting cycle

cement is used as the most widely used and common soil stabilizer. However, due to the adverse environmental effects of cement, the need to use geopolymers is important because of the favorable environmental aspects as a suitable alternative to cement. In this study, geopolymer based on lime and nanomaterials, which includes nanoclucosilica , was used to stabilize kaolinite . Various parameters such as type of nanomaterials, amount of nanomaterials, the ratio of alkaline activating solution and the curing time were considered as factors affecting the behavior of stabilized samples. To evaluate the effect of geopolymer and nanomaterials on the mechanical behavior of the samples, unrestricted compressive strength and tensile strength and melting cycle tests were performed, which were the main criteria for comparing the samples. On other hand, XRD and SEM analysis were performed to investigate the microstructure of the stabilized soil. The results show that fiber-based and nanomaterial based geopolymers are a suitable alternative to cementitious materials in soil stabilization, so that the addition of fibers and nanomaterials to the soil increases the strength and improves the mechanical behavior of the samples. other hand, with increasing the amount of nanomaterials to 5% (and alkali solution), the compressive and tensile strength of the samples increases. The obtained strengths have been compared with the strength of cement-stabilized samples. the results of microstructural analysis show Gives a strong reaction to chemical additives and the formation of aluminosilicate gels in geopolymer compounds, which in turn increases the soil bearing capacity and stabilizes it.