<p>Engineering intervention is imperative to minimize the subsidence of transportation infrastructure due to the wetting-induced collapse of underlying kaolin deposits. Geopolymerization is widely explored as a promising technique to enhance the mechanical performance of problematic clays. However, no study is currently available to evaluate the performance of geopolymerized kaolin to arrest collapse behavior. Moreover, the application of existing laboratory techniqu es for field application is complex, as the field mixing of alkali-activator, and maintaining desired concentrations is challenging. This study introduces a sand pile replacement approach to mitigate kaolin collapse potential using alkali activation, which can be readily implemented in the field. The present study proposes a laboratory procedure for evaluating the geopolymerization of compacted kaolin in field conditions. The influence of inundation pressure, concentrations of the alkaline and activator solution, the sand column pattern, and curing time on the collapse potential were evaluated. A substantial reduction of 65–92% in the collapse potential was achieved under various studied conditions. The detailed microstructural study revealed the presence of cementitious inter-particle bonds of a geopolymer compound, which was responsible for the reduction in the collapse potential. Additionally, a mechanism was illustrated based on inter-particle electrochemical interactions, which theoretically explains the observed decrease in the volumetric collapse of treated kaolin. Overall, the proposed study effectively demonstrated the significant reduction in collapse potential of kaolin across different normal stresses and solution concentrations.</p>