Role of Sodium Silicate Additive in Cement-Treated Kuttanad Soil: Fid-Bau Portal

Role of Sodium Silicate Additive in Cement-Treated Kuttanad Soil

Suganya, K. / Sivapullaiah, P. V.

This study aims at understanding various parameters that influence the performance of the sodium silicate (SS) additive along with cement in treating the soft Kuttanad soil. The change in soil structure in the presence of SS additive during cement treatment has been correlated with the engineering properties of cement-treated Kuttanad soil. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of samples was measured to study the additive dosage effect and to evaluate the impact of the clay water to cement (W/C) ratio on the additive performance. Microstructural and mineralogical investigations were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), pH, and zeta potential measurements. The results show that the presence of SS additive notably impacts the strength behavior of Kuttanad soil treated with cement by more than one mechanism. SS additive accelerates and augments the formation of calcium silicate hydrate (CSH). Further, it is found to induce changes in fabric and pore water chemistry that favor enhanced cementation imparting substantial strength to the cemented soil matrix.