Mechanical behaviors of soil stabilized by biopolymers

In this study, changes in the mechanical properties of biopolymer and polymer treated soils WİTH curing period and under freeze - thaw action were investigated. For this purpose, unconfined compression and freeze - thaw tests were carried out. Xanthan gum and guar gum biopolymers and anionic polymers were used to improve kaolin clay. The samples were prapared in 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% additive contents under standard proctor compactive effect and subjected to 5 and 10 cycles of freeze-thaw effect to investigate the freeze-thaw action. After 7, 14 and 28 daily curing periods, changes in the unconfined compression strength of the samples were obtained. Regarding to the outcomes obtained, biopolymer use causes on increase in the unconfined compression strength, due to biopolymer additive content and curing period; the use of an anionic polymer additive was found to decrease after the increase was at a certain value. It was also observed that the strenght of samples exposed to freeze - thaw effect exhibit a drastic reduction unconfined pressure strength whereas a more brittle behavior.