Application of Guar Gum Treatment of Basalt Residual-Soil Shallow Slope in Early Ecological Restoration

Xianfei Shen, Lina Wang (), Xuemin Pan, Bijin Yang, Jiayuan Han and Lianxing Zhang
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Xianfei Shen: School of Construction Engineering, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
Lina Wang: School of Construction Engineering, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
Xuemin Pan: School of Construction Engineering, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
Bijin Yang: School of Construction Engineering, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
Jiayuan Han: School of Construction Engineering, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
Lianxing Zhang: School of Water Conservancy, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 15, 1-17

Abstract: This paper found that environmentally friendly guar gum biopolymers are helpful for stopping the erosion of basalt residual-soil shallow slopes, while also improving the problems of poor stability, difficult growth of early vegetation, and weak initial resistance to the rainfall scouring of these slopes under extreme climatic conditions. Then, to illustrate the effects of the guar gum treatment, laboratory tests have been conducted, including a soil strength test, water retention and water absorption tests, a disintegration test, and a simulated rainfall erosion test, and the pattern of its effect on vegetation growth has been explored. The results indicate that as the content of guar gum increases, both the cohesion and angle of internal friction exhibit a trend of first increasing and then decreasing; the angle of internal friction varies within a range of 21° to 26°. The evaporation rate, water absorption rate, and disintegration rate of this guar gum-treated soil were significantly reduced, while the cracking of the surface layer was significantly improved. The disintegration rate of the soil is only about 2%, as the guar gum content is greater than 1%. Moreover, there is no sign indicating that vegetation germination was affected by the guar gum, meaning that it maintains a favorable environment for vegetation to grow. Guar gum-cured slopes were significantly protected under heavy rainfall washout conditions, with a 94.85% reduction in total soil loss from the slope surface compared to untreated slopes. Since the pores of soil are filled with guar gum hydrogel, the erosion resistance of soil is greatly enhanced. The results of this study will provide a scientific basis for engineering the protection of shallow slopes of basalt residual soils.

Keywords: basalt residual soil; guar gum; shear strength; erosion resistance; ecological slope protection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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