Study on Shear Strength of Xanthan Gum-Amended Soil

Abstract

When construction work is planned on soil with inadequate shear strength, its engineering properties need to be improved. Chemical stabilization is one of the solutions for soil strength improvement. Currently, the most common additive that is used for chemical soil improvement is cement. Cement is an effective solution, but it has several negative effects on the environment. Therefore, the urges for environment-friendly solutions that can replace cement and show good potential for sustainable engineering are rising. One of the promising environment-friendly solutions is the use of biopolymers. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the biopolymer xanthan gum on the strength of different types of soil. Xanthan gum was mixed with three different types of soil: sand, clay, and silty sand. The strength of treated and non-treated soil was experimentally investigated by performing unconfined compression, direct shear, and triaxial tests. From the results, it was observed that xanthan gum significantly increased the strength of each soil, which shows its major potential for the future of sustainable engineering.