This paper was presented on 3rd DAV national Congress

1. A Review of Stabilization of Soft Soils by using
Nanomaterials
Diksha Sharma1
and Kanav Chandan2
M. Tech Student, Dept. of Civil Engineering, DAV Institute of Engineering. & Technology,
Jalandhar, India 1,2
ABSTRACT : Nanotechnology is the science which revolves around the creation of a varied
collection of nanomaterials and nanoparticles along with nano objects. There are little
investigations in the literature on the nanotechnology’s applications in the geotechnical field.
This paper reviews the applications of nanotechnology in the field of geotechnical engineering. It
discusses the nanomaterial additives used in soil improvement and analyzes its effects on soil.
The study reveals that various tests are done on the stabilization of soft soil and the results
showed significant improvement in maximum dry density, plasticity index, linear shrinkage,
compaction characteristics and unconfined compressive strength. The improvement is dependent
on the type of nanomaterials. This review paper deals with the study of soft soil stabilized with;
Nano copper oxide(CuO), Nano magnesium oxide(MgO) and Nano clay. The unconfined
compressive strength and maximum dry density increased as the nanomaterial content increased
until they reach a percentage after which the strength got decreased. Thus, the addition of finer
particles such as nanomaterials, even at low doses, could enhance the property of soil. Soil
samples were collected from two sites in Malaysia. Specifically, Soils 1 (S1) and Soil 2 (S2) were
obtained from Penang and Banting, respectively. Further, this work also discusses the influence
of recent advances in nano instruments and electron microscope as well as their applications in
geotechnical studies.
Keywords: NanoParticles, Soft soil, Soil stabilization, Unconfined compressive strength
INTRODUCTION
The idea of Nanotechnology was first
introduced by “Richard Feynman” in 1960
in his lecture entitled “There’s Plenty of
Room at the Bottom” (R. Feynman, 1960).
After some years, there was a significant and
rapid progress in this technology. There are
different fields of science which give
different definitions for nanotechnology.
However, national pioneers of
nanotechnology in National Nanotechnology
Initiative (NNI) in United States have
presented a comprehensive definition of this
technology (NNI, 2007);
According to NNI, “nanotechnology” is the
control, comprehension, and reformation of
material based on the hierarchy of
nanometers to develop matter with
essentially new uses and a new constitution.
Considering this definition, nanotechnology
is a novel approach in all sciences. Such an
approach can be applied in geotechnical
engineering in two ways: (1) in studying the
soil structure in nanometer scale to gain a
better understanding of soil nature, as well
as in studying the performance of soils with
different nanostructures; (2) in conducting
soil manipulation at the atomic or molecular

2. scale, which is facilitated by the addition of
nanoparticles as an external factor to soil.
Nanotechnology is the science which
revolves around the creation of a varied
collection of nanomaterials and
nanoparticles along with nano objects. Nano
scale: A nano meter is the one thousand
millionth of a meter. At this sacle, physical
and chemical properties of a material differ
significantly from those at a larger scale.
Nanomaterials: A nanomaterial is any
material that has unique property due to the
nano scale structuring. Nanomaterials are
formed by the incorporation or structuring of
nanoparticles. These are sub divided into
three types: Nanocrystals, nanopowder and
nanotubes. Nanomaterials are also divided
as:
Zero dimensional: These have no parameter.
i.e, length, breadth and height are confined
to a single dot. e.g: nano dot.
One dimensional: These have only one
parameter. i.e, either length, breadth or
height. e.g: very thin surface coating.
Two dimensional: These have two
parameters. i.e, length and breadth (nano
wires, nano tubes, etc).
Three dimensional: These have three
parameters. i.e, length, breadth and height.
These are referred to as Nanoparticles.
Nanoparticles: These are the particles of
size between 1nm to 100 nm. 1nm is 3 to 5
atoms wide. A nanometer is 4000 times
smaller than the width of a human hair.
Soft soils include large fractions of fine silt,
peat and loose sand deposits below the
ground water table. Among these soils, soft
soil has the smallest particle size, usually
less than 2µm. Soft soils are generally found
in the areas of high water content such as
coastal and low land areas, approaching a
liquid limit at which the soil has high
settlement potential and compressibility with
low shear strength. Thus the researchers
have great interest in enhancing such
properties. To satisfy pre-construction and
post-construction settlement and to ensure
stable strength and deformation, a stable
state should be achieved.
Traditionally, materials such as cement, lime
and mineral additives such as fly ash, silica
fume and rice husk ash were used for
improving such soils. 1n 1970s and 1980s,
soil stabilization admixtures were used in
Japan and the treated soil was better than the
original soil because of the increased
strength and reduced compressibility. This
review paper investigates the effect of
addition of different nanomaterials including
nano copper oxide (CuO), Nano Magnesium
Oxide (MgO) and Nano Clay on the
geotechnical properties of soft soil which
include compaction characteristics,
unconfined compressive strength,
compressibility, plasticity index and linear
shrinkage.
MATERIALS
Soil: The soil used in this study was
obtained from two places, i.e., Penang (S1)
and Banting (S2) in Malaysia. The samples
are collected in disturbed state from 0.5 to
1.0 m below the ground surface.

3. Table 1: Physical and chemical properties of
the soils
Characteristic Standard S1 S2
Organic
content (%)
ASTM D
2974
12.17 1.31
Specific
gravity
ASTM D
854
2.42 2.75
pH ASTM D
4972
3.24 4.25
Clay fraction
(%)
ASTM D
422
29.80 36.20
Silt fraction
(%)
ASTM D
422
31.80 31.30
Sand fraction
(%)
ASTM D
422
38.90 36.20
Liquid limit
index (%)
BS 1377
Part 2
1990
46.35 50.61
Plasticity
index (%)
BS 1377
Part 2
1990
18.25 25.61
Linear
shrinkage (%)
BS 1377
Part 2
1990
11.07 8.24
Unified Soil
Classification
(USCS)
ASTM D
2488
OL CH
Optimum
water content
(%)
ASTM D
698
21.60 24.80
Max. dry unit
weight
(kN/m3
)
ASTM D
698
14.44 15.68
Chamical
composition
(SiO2) (%)
61.72 57.03
Al2O3 (%) 17.53 23.63
Fe2O3 (%) 3.61 7.33
MgO (%) 1.16 0.73
CaO (%) 0.06 .04
TiO2 (%) 0.89 1.80
Na2O (%) 0.40 0.31
K2O (%) 2.92 2.51
Others 11.71 5.31
Additives: The nano materials used in the
study under SEM (Scanning Electron
Microscope) are shown (Figure 1):
(a) Nano Copper(CuO)
(b) Nano Magnesium(MgO)
(c) Nano Clay
(a) Nano Copper (CuO)
(b) Nano Magnesium (MgO)

4. (c) Nano Clay
Figure 1
Figure 1: Different nano materials under
SEM
Effects of Nanomaterials on Soil
There is an influence of nano particles on
specific properties of soil, their properties
become different when material approach
the nano scale. Falling is an overview of
such changes:
1) At the nano scale, a higher ratio of
surface to volume and, in turn a
higher cation exchange capacity
exists. Thus, there is a very active
interaction of nano particles with
other particles and solutions such
that very minute amounts may cause
considerable effets on the physio-
chemical behavior and engineering
properties of soil.
2) At the nano scale, electromagnetic
forces are dominant and the gravity
forces can be disregarded.
3) Instead of classic mechanics,
quantum mechanical models are
utilized for describing movement and
energy at the nano scale.
4) There is a higher significiance of
random molecular movements at the
nano scale. Soils containing nano
particles along with intraparticle
voids exhibit higher liquid and
plastic limits because of following
reasons:
a) When the specific surface is
higher, it leads to a larger
amount of water
incompassing the outer
surface of the particles.
b) The presence of nano pores
leads to the accumulation of
water in these pores which
results in an increases of the
available water capacity in
the soil.
c) The water aaccumulation
capacity is also increased by
the nano structure of soil
particles.The presence of
nano fibresin soil improves
the thixotropic property of
soil and increases its shear
strength. Also, these soils
have much lower bulk
density due to the occurrence
of nano pores.

5. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Compaction Characteristics
When different Nano materials, viz.
Nano CuO, Nano MgO and Nano
Clay are added to the soft soil, there
is an effect on the compaction
characteristics (max. dry density &
optimum moisture content of the
soil). The addition of these nano
materials to the soil increased the
max. dry density(Soil S1 & S2) and
the optimum moisture content(Soil
S1). An increase in the max. dry
density indicates the soil
improvement. The increase in the
optimum moisture content is due to
the additional water which is held
within the flocculated structure due
to excess water absorbed resulting
from the porous property of the soil.
In some cases(Soil S2), the optimum
water content of the soil decreased
with the increase in the %age of
nano materials. This decrease in the
moisture content is related to the
tendency of nano materials to absorb
water from the moist soil. Moreover,
the addition of nano materials
powder decreases the OMC of soil
due to the high surface area of the
nano material particles. Whereas in
these soils the MDD increased with
the increase in the dosages of nano
materials as in the previous case.
This increase is due to the particle
densities of nano materials which are
greater than the particle density of
the natural soil. Also, the nano
materials particle reduce the porosity
by filling the spaces between soil
particles and bonded the particles
together.
Figure 2

6. Figure 3
Figure 2: Effect of different nano
materials on the MDD of both the
soil
Figure 3: Effect of different nano materials
on the OMC of both the soil
Atterberg’s Limits
The study revealed that the Atterberg’s
Limit i.e; liquid limit, plastic limit, plasticity
index and shrinkage limit decreased as the
nano material content increased in the soil.
These reduction in the plasticity index
indicate the soil improvement. Thus, when
the fine particles(nano materials), even at
low doses, are added to the soil the
properties of soil get improved.

7. Figure 4
Figure 4: Effect of different nano materials
and water content on engineering properties
of soil
Unconfined Compressive Strength
(UCS)
When the amounts of nano materials are
increased in the soil, there is an increase in
the UCS value. The increase of nano
material more than the optimum limit results
from agglomeration in nano material particle
which in turn cause an increase in the void
ratio and hence decrease in density and
increase in water content. Result indicate
that the soil sample which is treated with
nano clay gaves max. shear strength. Soil to
which nano clay had been added showed
hardening and improved strength as
compared with the soil specimen which
were added with different nano materials
(Nano CuO and Nano MgO).
Figure 5
Figure 5: Effect of different nano materials on UCS
of the soil
CONCLUSION
This review paper is based on the
investigations related to previous papers
which deal with study the effect of addition
of three nano materials (i.e; Nano CuO,

8. Nano MgO and Nano Clay) on the
geotechnical properties of soft soils. Since
the nano particles are the particles of very
small size, they fill the voids in the soils and
hence increase the density and reduce the
permeability of the soil. Also the swelling
and shrinkage characteristics of the soil
decrease as the water cannot penetrate into
the soil treated with nanomaterials. The
MDD, OMC, Atterberg’s Limits and UCS
were determined. Addition of the nano
materials increased the MDD & OMC of the
soil and decreased the Atterberg’s Limits
(liquid limit, plastic limit, plasticity index,
shrinkage limit). Also, the compressive
strength of the soil increased with the
addition of nano materials. These results can
help researchers to improve soil strength and
other soil properties further in their works.
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9. Zaid Hameed Majeed, Mohd Raihan Taha,
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