Comparison of short-term and long-term performances for polymer-stabilized sand and clay

- An MDI-based liquid polymer was used to stabilize poorly-graded sand and sulfate-rich clay.
- The short-term and long-term performances of the stabilized specimens were evaluated.
- The specimens showcased high durability after undergoing different weathering conditions.
- The polymer-stabilized sulfate-rich clay specimens showcased minimal swelling potential.

A series of tests were carried out on sulfate rich, high-plasticity clay and poorly-graded natural sand to study the effectiveness of a methylene diphenyl diisocyanate based liquid polymer soil stabilizer in improving the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of freshly stabilized soils and aged sand specimens. The aged specimens were prepared by exposing the specimens to ultraviolet radiation, freeze-thaw, and wet-dry weathering. The polymer soil stabilizer also mitigated the swelling of the expansive clay. For clay, the observations indicated that the sequence of adding water and liquid polymer had great influence on the gained UCS of stabilized specimens. However, this was shown to be of little importance for sand. Furthermore, sand samples showed incremental gains in UCS when they were submerged in water. This increase was significant for up to 4 days of soaking in water after 4 days of ambient air curing. Conversely, the clay samples lost a large fraction of their UCS when soaked in water; however, their remaining strength was still considerable. The stabilized specimens showed acceptable endurance under weathering action, although sample yellowing due to ultraviolet radiation was evident on the surface of the specimens. Except for moisture susceptibility of the clay specimens, the results of this study suggested the liquid stabilizer could be successfully utilized to provide acceptable strength, durability and mitigated swelling.