Experimental Analysis of Hydraulic Characteristics of Coarse-grained Soil Treated with Natural-based Nanomaterials

Abstract

In the last decades the interest in nanomaterials considerably increased due to the development of new technologies of micronization. The prospect of achieving large amounts of nanomaterials from natural bulk materials allows to evaluate the replacement of cement in low-pressure injection for geotechnical soil stabilization. The aim of the research activities was to point out the effectiveness of the injection of nanomaterials in the decrease of permeability in coarse-grained soils. In this study, nanomaterials from sand, clay and graphene were used to create the mix design. In order to reach the goal, a first step was the characterization of nanomaterials and sand used as matrix, then shape and number of samples were defined and finally constant head test was carried out to provide hydraulic conductivity. The results confirmed that the proper injection of nanoparticles-based mixture could be considered a sustainable solution useful to reduce the permeability of coarse-grained soil.