Long-term Durability of Biopolymer Treated Recycled Glass Sand

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Biopolymer-soil mixtures have emerged as effective and environmentally friendly materials for soil improvement, supporting the development of green infrastructure. This study explores the use of recycled glass sand as a sustainable alternative to natural sand, in combination with a thermal-induced biopolymer, agar, to enhance the mechanical properties of the mixture. The investigation focuses on the effects of wetting-drying cycles and varying pH environments on the strength and durability of agar-treated recycled glass sand. With the addition of 2.5% agar, the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the treated recycled glass sand improved significantly, reaching up to 1315 kPa. However, wet-dry cycle tests revealed a gradual reduction in strength, with the treated samples retaining approximately 20% of their initial strength after 15 cycles. The study also examined the durability of the treated samples in different pH environments (pH 3 and pH 10) over a 28-day period. The results showed a significant vulnerability to acidic conditions, with the UCS dropping to 105 kPa at pH 3. In contrast, samples submerged in alkaline solutions (pH 10) retained 50% of their original strength after 28 days. Additionally, the Pocket Erodometer Test was employed to assess the erosion resistance of the agar-treated recycled glass sand. The results indicated a marked improvement in erosion resistance, with the erodibility of the samples being reduced from very high (>75 mm erosion depth) to medium (<15 mm erosion depth) after agar treatment.

2025 International Conference on Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics (ICBBG2025)

Special symposium: Biopolymer treated soils