Effect of Magnesium Chloride Solution as an Antifreeze Agent in Clay Stabilization during Freeze-Thaw Cycles

Abstract

Freeze-thaw cycles significantly impact construction by altering soil properties and stability, which can lead to delays and increased costs. While soil-stabilizing additives are vital for addressing these issues, stabilized soils remain susceptible to volume changes and structural alterations, ultimately reducing their strength after repeated freeze-thaw cycles. This study aims to introduce a different approach by employing magnesium chloride (MgCl2) as an antifreeze and soil stabilizer additive to enhance the freeze-thaw resilience of clay soils. We investigated the efficiency of MgCl2 solutions at concentrations of 4%, 9%, and 14% on soil by conducting tests such as Atterberg limits, standard proctor compaction, unconfined compression, and freeze-thaw cycles under extreme cold conditions (−10 °C and −20 °C), alongside microstructural analysis with SEM, XRD, and FTIR. The results showed that MgCl2 reduces the soil’s liquid limit and plasticity index while enhancing its compressive strength and durability. Specifically, soil treated with a 14% MgCl2 solution maintained its volume and strength at −20 °C, with similar positive outcomes observed for samples treated with 14% and 9% MgCl2 solutions at −10 °C. This underlines MgCl2’s potential to enhance soil stability during initial stabilization and, most importantly, preserve it under cyclic freeze-thaw stresses, offering a solution to improve construction practices in cold environments.