Treatment of collapse of gypseous soils by grouting

Abstract

Gypseous soil is a collapsible soil, which causes large deformations in buildings that are constructed on it. Various methods have been used to minimise this effect, such as replacing the gypseous soil or using soil stabilisation (grouting or soil improvement). This study was carried out on four types of gypseous soils that have different properties and various gypsum contents. The testing was carried out on remoulded samples to evaluate the compressibility of gypseous soil under different conditions. The samples were grouted with acrylate liquid. The relationships between the injection pressure and the radius of flow, between time of injection and radius of flow, and between time and quantity of acrylate liquid are investigated on four soils. The treated samples showed that the acrylate liquid reduces the compressibility of the gypseous soil by more than 60–70%. This is attributed to the acrylate liquid film coating the gypsum particles and so isolating them from being subjected to the effect of water. The treated gypseous samples exhibited a low collapse potential, where acrylate liquid reduced the collapsibility of the gypseous soil by more than 50–60%. The acrylate liquid affects the shear strength parameters of the gypseous soil by increasing the cohesion and decreasing the angle of internal friction.