Effects of Applied Voltage and Concentration of Chemical Solution on the Electro-osmotic Consolidation of Kaolin

Electro-osmotic chemical technique is an effective method to reinforce soft clay. In this study, a series of electro-osmotic chemical tests were conducted on kaolin to investigate the effects of applied voltage and concentration of chemical solution on the shear strength. The changes in various factors, such as current, electrical potential, settlement, and drainage volume during the tests were analyzed. The cohesion and internal friction angle of the treated slurry were calculated using the values of variables monitored during the experiments. The shear strength after treatment was measured to obtain the efficiency for the electro-osmotic chemical technique. The experimental data indicated that the higher applied voltage reduced the economic effectiveness of electro-osmotic chemical treatment (ECT). However, the higher concentration of injected solution promoted the consolidation of kaolin and had only a slight impact on the economic effectiveness of ECT. Besides, the values of cohesion and internal friction angle of the treated sample increased with the increase in applied voltage and the concentration of chemical solution. The results of this study provide some references for seeking a better curing scheme for the electro-osmotic chemical treatment in future engineering applications.