The Use of Nanoclay Particles for Stabilization of Dispersive Clayey Soils

Common strategies for improvement of dispersive soils include chemical stabilization with various additives such as lime, cement, bitumen, resin, etc. Application of the mentioned materials in terms of technical and economic considerations has advantages and certain limitations. Recently, due to improvements in nano-materials production and application, use of this type of materials in different sciences especially geotechnical engineering has been considered. In this research, the effect of nanoclay on dispersivity potential of two types of clayey soils with low plasticity and high plasticity has been studied. For this purpose, first identification tests were implemented on two types of clayey soils and nanoclay, and then pinhole tests were conducted on soil samples with different amounts of nanoclay including (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4% by dry weight) with respect to curing ages of 1, 3 and 7 days. Based on the results obtained from different tests, it was found that the addition of nanoclay to dispersive clayey soils could decrease their dispersivity potential considerably.