Undrained shear and pore space characteristics of treated loose sands with lime-activated zeolite in saturated settings

This research investigates the mechanical behavior of artificially cemented sandy soils formed by lime alkali activation of natural zeolite under saturation settings. In order to verify the bar capability of cemented sands with this new method, an analysis of the undrained shear strength of the soil with pore water pressure ratio measurements was performed from the interpretation of the results of unconfined compression tests. The effect of zeolite-lime blend on treated sands was also visualized by scanning electron microscopy. For the studied soils, it was concluded from the unconfined compression stress values that the soil is fully capable of withstanding compressions due to overburden pressure. Additionally, this study seeks to evaluate the effect of the void ratio on the pore space and undrained shear strength. The results showed that pore water B-ratio increases with the decrease of the void ratio. Moreover, with the increase of zeolite content, confining pressure, and curing age, the peak failure strength increases. The results indicated a promising consistency of treated samples with lime and zeolite under various values of undrained shearing and B-ratios, making this method an ideal treatment for loose sand deposits.