The Influence of Styrene Butadiene Latex on Sandy Soil Reinforced by Soil Mixed Columns under Raft Foundation

Abstract

Geotechnical engineers seek to improve the engineering performance of soil-cement mixtures by adding non-traditional materials as a supplementary additive. Emulsion polymers are widely used to develop cementitious composites by forming physical bonds. The aim of this study is to estimate the feasibility of utilizing Styrene Butadiene Latex (SBL) to increase the soil-cement mixtures strength. This study involved two parts. In the first one, the Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) tests were carried out on sandy soil blended with 8% cement and 0, 5, 7.5, and 10% SBL after 7 and 28 days of curing. The results of the UCS tests verified that the mixtures of sandy soil with 8% cement and 7.5% SBL were increased by 3% and 5% compared to soil - 8% cement after 7 and 28 curing days, respectively. In the second part of the study, Plaxis 3D software was used to evaluate the settlement of the raft foundation constructed above soil mixed columns (SMCs) using only 8% cement and 8% cement plus 7.5% SBL. The SMCs were designed under various compositions, lengths and floating or end bearing conditions depending on the location of rigid layer. The influence of adding 7.5% SBL to the composition of SMCs on the vertical stress was pragmatically increased by 5% and 4% when the SMCs were rested on a rigid layer at 5 and 10 m, respectively. The implications of the finding in design are also discussed.