The influence of nanomaterials on collapsible soil treatment

This paper presents an experimental study aiming to understand the impacts of nanomaterials on collapsible soil Behavior. Collapsible soils are among problematic soils from the perspective of geological and geotechnical engineering. These soils under constant stress present volume decrease related to the increase in moisture content. The reason is due to the weakened bond between particles under a constant stress. Collapsible soils exist in different parts of the world. In this study, samples used in experiments were collected by opening a trial pit from the sub-tropical areas of Iran. The soil samples were examined using standard geotechnical tests. The assessment of collapsibility potential of soil samples was carried out using the standard ASTM (2003). An appropriate sample with collapsible potential was employed to assess the effects of nanomaterials selected. Samples were treated with four types of nanomaterials (nanoclay, nanocopper, nanoalumina, and nanosilica) and combined under different percentages of the total dry weight of the soil. Soil tests were carried out in natural water content and density. The results showed that using various nanomaterials had different effects on the behavior of collapsible soils. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.