Effect of epoxy resin mixtures on the physical and mechanical properties of sand

Abstract

The use of new materials for soil strengthening is crucial for geotechnical engineering, especially in foundation construction. The main objective of this study was to investigate the potential use of two-component water-soluble epoxy resin to improve the physical and mechanical properties of medium sand, because the efficacy of these resins on soil strengthening has not yet been properly investigated. The experiments were conducted using resins with different epoxy resin-to-water ratios. The results of this study indicate that the epoxy resins improve the physical and mechanical properties of the sand significantly and if successfully grouted into a formation, the resins could provide a suitable solution for the stabilization of the foundation material. In separate experiments, electro osmotic treatment of sand/resin mixtures was conducted with the aim of identifying the effectiveness of electro kinetic method on the early strength development of sand/resin mixtures. From the results it was observed that the electroosmotically treated specimens appeared to have much greater strength enhancement than the one of the untreated specimens. © Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2014.