Studies on the effects of Colloidal Nanosilica and Polypropylene Fiber on the mechanical performance of Alishan soil

Studies on the effects of Colloidal Nanosilica and Polypropylene Fiber on the mechanical performance of Alishan soil

Chih-Yung Hsu ^1,*, Chieh-Sheng Chen ², Yi-Wen Wang ³, Ching-Yu Lin ³, Chih-Hsuan Liu ⁴, Ching Hung ⁵

^1,* Master student, Department of Civil Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

[Corresponding author]

(e-mail:N66121222@gs.ncku.edu.tw)

² Ph.D. student, Department of Civil Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

³ Master student, Department of Civil Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan.

⁴ Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taiwan

⁵Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

The slopes of Alishan in Taiwan have been persistently subjected to geological hazards, shallow landslides, over the years. To mitigate the impacts of these geological events, it is crucial to conduct in-depth investigations and improvements to soil in the Alishan area. Previous studies have explored various behaviors of stabilizers in soil stabilization (Ghadr et al. 2022, Liu et al. 2023, Liu and Hung 2023, Hung et al. 2024). However, the aggregation of nanosilica particles has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of these improvements. To address this issue, the current research focuses on the use of colloidal nanosilica to minimize the aggregation effect and enhance the overall performance of the soil improvement process. Additionally, while nanosilica enhances soil strength, it also makes the soil more brittle, which is undesirable for soil stabilization projects that require ductility. To counteract this, polypropylene fibers are added to improve soil ductility. Our preliminary results indicate that both colloidal nanosilica and polypropylene fibers effectively improve soil mechanical properties, including strength and ductility, while also reducing the potential of expansion. The finding will continue to explore the synergistic effects of these two materials on the stability and reinforcement of Alishan slope soils through a series of experiments.

 

References:

Ghadr, S., Liu, C. H., Mrudunayani, P., & Hung, C. (2022). Effects of hydrophilic and hydrophobic nanosilica on the hydromechanical behaviors of mudstone soil. Construction and Building Materials, 331, 127263.

Liu, C. H., Ghadr, S., Mrudunayani, P., & Hung, C. (2023). Synergistic effects of colloidal nanosilica and fiber on the hydromechanical performance of mudstone soil in Taiwan. Acta Geotechnica, 18(12), 6831-6847.

Liu, C. H., & Hung, C. (2023). Reutilization of solid wastes to improve the hydromechanical and mechanical behaviors of soils—a state-of-the-art review. Sustainable Environment Research, 33(1), 17.

Hung C., Chen C. S., Liu C. H., Lin C. Y., Hsu C. Y., Wang Y. W., Lin K. Y. A. (2024). Recent Advances in Soil Stabilization and Reinforcement: A Comprehensive Review of Emerging Technologies. (under review)