Mechanical Properties of Cement-Treated Soil Mixed with Cellulose Nanofibre

Abstract

Cellulose nanofibre (CNF), a material composed of ultrafine fibres of wood cellulose fibrillated to nano-order level, is expected to be widely used because of its excellent properties. However, in the field of geotechnical engineering, almost no progress has been made in the development of techniques for using CNFs. The authors have focused on the use of CNF as an additive in cement treatment for soft ground, where cement is added to solidify the ground, because CNF can reduce the problems associated with cement-treated soil. This paper presents the results of a study on the method of mixing CNF, the strength and its variation obtained by adding CNF, and the change in permeability. CNF had the effect of mixing the cement evenly and reducing the variation in the strength of the treated soil. The CNF mixture increased the strength at the initial age but reduced the strength development in the long term. The addition of CNF also increased the flexural strength, although it hardly changed the permeability.

Can TEMPO-Oxidized Cellulose Nanofibers Be Used as Additives in Bio-Based Building Materials? A Preliminary Study on Earth Plasters

“…Furthermore, the use of natural fibers as reinforcement is quite an established topic [39]. However, the application of nanocellulose in earth-based materials is still in its infancy: Stanislas et al has examined the effect of cellulose [40,41] and of nanofibrillated cellulose [42] on extruded cement-stabilized earth-based matrices; Takahashi et al [43] studied the influence of cellulose nanofibers on cement-stabilized soils. Finally, the highly hydrophilic character of NC, due to the presence of a large number of alcohol groups, on the one hand, could increase the cohesion of earth plasters by limiting their porosity and, on the other hand, could promote higher water retention.…”

Trends and Prospects in Geotechnics

“…The fifth [7] and tenth [8] papers study the effects of applying nanomaterials to chemically stabilised soils, i.e., innovative materials with a promising future. In the fifth paper, Takahashi et al [7] studied the effects of using cellulose nanofibre (CNF) as an additive in Portland cement in the treatment for soft soil.…”

“…The fifth [7] and tenth [8] papers study the effects of applying nanomaterials to chemically stabilised soils, i.e., innovative materials with a promising future. In the fifth paper, Takahashi et al [7] studied the effects of using cellulose nanofibre (CNF) as an additive in Portland cement in the treatment for soft soil. Authors have concluded that CNF can mix the Portland cement evenly, hardly change the permeability, and reduce the variation in the strength, while at the same time, promoting an increase in the initial age and a reduction in the long-term strength development.…”