Improvement and strengthening of silica sand with electric fields: an electrodeposition approach
摘要
The development of effective, non-intrusive, and sustainable ground improvement techniques is crucial to mitigate the impacts of natural or anthropogenic activities on sandy soils. To this end, the present study explores electrodeposition, in which electrolysis, electroosmosis, and electromigration under mild electric potential (EP) stimulation facilitate ionic transport and mineral precipitation in the pore space of the silica sand. Specifically, through a laboratory testing campaign, this study addresses the uncharted effects of EP on structural, mechanical, and chemical properties of silica sand in the presence of four wetting fluids (WF), designated based on applied EP and WF: distilled water (E-DW), zinc sulphate (E-ZS), calcium hydroxide + sodium metasilicate (E-CH), and calcium chloride + sodium metasilicate (E-CS). Following the EP stimulation, microstructural analysis revealed no electrodeposition in E-DW and E-ZS, resulting in no measurable improvement in strength or permeability. Conversely, microstructural analysis revealed significant precipitation of dense, uniform, and amorphous calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) electrodeposits in the pore space E-CS than E-CH. Subsequently, macrostructural analysis showed 50 times increase in P-wave amplitude and a tenfold improvement in penetration resistance of E-CS sample relative to the E-DW sample. Notably, non-electrically stimulated (NE-CS) sample required 20 days to achieve stiffness equivalent to electrically stimulated (E-CS) sample, underscoring the pivotal role of EP in accelerating electromigration and promoting controlled electrodeposition. Collectively, the results advance the understanding of EP-driven electrodeposition mechanisms and affirm its potential as an effective, sustainable, and minimally invasive technique for silica sand improvement.