WITHDRAWN: Experimental investigation on Interrelation between hydraulic conductivity and Compressive strength of soft soil using metakaolin as stabilizer

Abstract

The building industry requires method which improves the quality of the soil, if they want the foundation to be more durable and rigid. This is especially true for residential construction. Modifying clay soils with metakaolin (MK) has proven to be an effective method for stabilizing soil. This research examined the physiochemical properties of clay soil samples obtained from a construction site. After that, the specimens were treated with different concentrations of metakaolin (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% by weight) and placed through a series of tests in the laboratory to determine their level of strength and hydraulic conductivity. The observations showed that the hydraulic conductivity significantly decreased after the incorporation of metakaolin into the clay soil. Compared to unaltered soil, the hydraulic conductivity of the soil decreased by about 70% for 15% metakaolin concentration. The establishment of metakaolin-hydrated calcium silicate gel (C-S-H) in the soil matrix results in an increased pore-filling impact and smaller pore dimensions, both of which contribute to a reduction in hydraulic conductivity. The Un-confined compressive strength (UCS) of the altered soil samples dramatically improved after MK was incorporated into the mix. The UCS of the samples increased by 75% after adding the 15% MK substance. The increase in UCS can be attributed to the pozzolanic interaction that takes place between MK and soil. This interaction results in the production of new saturated products, which contribute to an increase in the material's strength. The effect of the curing time on the altered soil characteristics was another aspect that was analyzed in this investigation. The authors found that soil faces continuous changes with extended curing time in strength and permeability due to the addition of MK, which is supported by the test results showing that permeability decreases and strength increases with increasing time of curing of treat-ed soil samples with MK. Which suggests that the process of modifying the soil was ongoing because the strength and hydraulic conductivity of the modified soil increased and decreased simultaneously with extended curing periods. In conclusion, MK has the ability to improve the resiliency of clay soil while simultaneously lowering its permeability. According to the results of this study, altering the MK of clay soil in order to improve its mechanical and hydrodynamic properties is a strategy that can be implemented success-fully and is both realistic and useful. The findings of the research can be utilized to enhance the planning and construction of geological structures such as embankments, dams, and retaining walls that are built on clay soil. This finding has significant repercussions for the construction industry because it paves the way for an alternative that is both workable and inexpensive to the earth-stabilization methods that are currently in use.