Nanotechnology Applied for Soil Stabilization - a Survey

Abstract

The technical and constructive challenges inherent to the execution of engineering works on problematic soils require a continuous development or improvement of the techniques and methods used to investigate the soils’ behavior and to design and evaluate the performance of these works. Soil stabilization is one of the most used techniques to improve the mechanical behavior of the soil. In addition to classic soil stabilization methods, nanotechnology is increasingly being used for various purposes, such as introducing nanoparticles of different compounds into the soil mixture or in the field of geosynthetics for fiber treatment. Although they do not have cementing properties, nanoparticles improve mechanical properties, thermal stability, and physicochemical behavior. Studies carried out with different types of soil show that introducing nanoparticles into the soil-cement matrix reduces the space between particles and provides a more robust and rigid soil skeleton. Considering this, it improves the material's resistance properties and reduces cement consumption, contributing to sustainability. The literature review presents research that evaluates different nanoparticles applied to soil mixtures and their influence on the final product. This paper reviews the state of the art of several studies showing that nanotechnology is a successful solution that can be used in soil stabilization because of its capacity to improve, for example, shear strength, unconfined compression strength, and the elastic modulus of soil. The research gap and prospects for using nanotechnology for soil stabilization are also exposed.