Clayey soil stabilization using alkali-activated volcanic ash and slag

Lime and Portland cement are the most widely used binders in soil stabilization projects. However, due to the high carbon emission in cement production, research on soil stabilization by the use of more environmentally-friendly binders with lower carbon footprint has attracted much attention in recent years. This research investigated the potential of using alkali-activated ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and volcanic ash (VA) as green binders in clayey soil stabilization projects, which has not been studied before. The effects of different combinations of VA with GGBS, various liquid/solid ratios, different curing conditions, and different curing periods (i.e. 7 d, 28 d and 90 d) were investigated. Compressive strength and durability of specimens against wet-dry and freeze-thaw cycles were then studied through the use of mechanical and microstructural tests. The results demonstrated that the coexistence of GGBS and VA in geopolymerization process was more effective due to the synergic formation of N-A-S-H and C-(A)-S-H gels. Moreover, although VA needs heat curing to become activated and develop strength, its partial replacement with GGBS made the binder suitable for application at ambient temperature and resulted in a remarkably superior resistance against wet-dry and freeze-thaw cycles. The carbon embodied of the mixtures was also evaluated, and the results confirmed the low carbon footprints of the alkali-activated mixtures. Finally, it was concluded that the alkali-activated GGBS/VA could be promisingly used in clayey soil stabilization projects instead of conventional binders.