An Investigation on the Potential of Cellulose for Soil Stabilization

The construction industry remains a significant contributor to global carbon emissions. Several sustainable alternatives have emerged to overcome this issue in geotechnical engineering. In this study, cellulose, an abundant biopolymer, is investigated for its potential to modify geotechnical properties favourably. Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) is an anionic ether derivative of natural cellulose with good binding and moisture-retaining capacity. Experimental investigations were conducted on organic silt stabilized with 0.25% to 1.00% NaCMC, and the results indicate that unconfined compression strength (UCS) increased by 76.7% with 0.5% NaCMC treated soil after 28 days. Hydraulic conductivity (HC) of the 0.5% NaCMC treated soil decreased by 91.7% after 28 days, and the additives suppressed the compression index of the soil by 50%. The California bearing ratio (CBR) test indicated that the additive improved the subgrade strength by 33.2%, improving it from very poor to a fair sub-grade material. Microstructural analysis using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and chemical investigation using x-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates that NaCMC’s interaction with soil did not form any new chemical compounds. However, the viscous nature of the material formed fibrous threads that bind the soil to enhance the geotechnical properties, establishing itself as a prominent stabilizer for ground improvement applications.