Ground improvement of non-cohesive soil using nanoparticles, specifically, laponite

Ground improvement by densification is one of the most common techniques to mitigate the risk of liquefaction and potential soil deformation. While traditional site stabilization techniques have some limitations such as full-field treatment, intensive disturbance, environmental pollution and expensive operation, nanoparticles can be utilized in ground improvement methods with lesser negative impact. In the research presented in this chapter, laponite was studied to evaluate its properties with non-cohesive soil in fully saturated conditions. The findings revealed that laponite is environmentally friendly and biologically inert. Even a small amount of laponite can significantly reduce the generation of pore water pressure under static loadings due to the good rheological properties of transparent gel. Additionally, the modulus of elasticity of sand–laponite specimens is almost double that of pure sand. Furthermore, the swelling strain of compacted laponite was observed to increase with time and with the increased concentration of laponite in specimens. Laponite can restrict the migration of contaminants and reduce the permeability of soil due to its good repeated swelling performance. This chapter provides novel insight into the improvement and modification of the strength properties of non-cohesive soil in the presence of laponite.