Utilization of Nano Silica and Plantain Leaf Ash for Improving Strength Properties of Expansive Soil

Fahad Alshawmar ()
Additional contact information
Fahad Alshawmar: Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: This study investigates the effect of nanosilica and plantain leaf ash on the sustainable stabilization of expansive soil. This study conducted various strength tests, including Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS), direct shear, and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) tests, to analyze the enhancement of mechanical properties by adding nano silica and plantain leaf ash. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis was conducted to investigate the interaction mechanism between the soil and the combination of nano silica and plantain leaf ash. Three different combinations of plantain leaf ash were utilized, ranging from 5% to 15%, alongside nano silica ranging from 0.4% to 1.2%. The reinforced soil’s compressive strength, shear strength, and bearing capacity were assessed through UCS, direct shear, and CBR tests. The results demonstrated significant improvements in compressive strength, up to 4.6 times, and enhancements in cohesion and frictional angle, up to 3.3 and 1.6 times, respectively, at 28 days. Moreover, the addition of nano silica and plantain leaf ash led to increased bearing capacity and reduced soil swelling potential, contributing to the overall stability and strength improvement in expansive soil. The SEM test results demonstrate that maximum bonding and compaction occur when 1.2% nano silica and 15% plantain leaf ash are added to the soil.

Keywords: nano silica; plantain leaf ash; expansive soil; soil stabilization; strength properties; structural analysis; SEM; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/5/2157/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/5/2157/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:5:p:2157-:d:1351578

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().