Stabilizers based on nanoclay and blast furnace slag to reduce wind erosion of sandy soil green stabilization of sandy soil

Abstract

One of the major environmental problems in hot and arid locations is the production of dust. This study presents green slurries based on nanoclay—and blast furnace slag for stabilizing desert sands. The slurries introduced contain bentonite and kaolinite mineral nanoclays, along with blast furnace slag powder. Unconfined compressive strength, moisture content, and wind tunnel tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the compounds in stabilizing sand and increasing its water-holding capacity. The mass percentages of bentonite nanoclay and blast furnace slag in the stabilizer slurry were optimized at 1–3% and 1–5%, respectively. The optimized mass percentages of kaolinite nanoclay and blast furnace slag slurry were 1–1% and 3–1%. The study found that soil stabilized with slurries increased compressive strength by three times compared to unstabilized soil. Additionally, the addition of stabilizers improved soil moisture retention by 50%. Sand surfaces stabilized with nanoclays and slag demonstrated excellent resistance to wind erosion, even at wind speeds of up to 100 km/h. Furthermore, there was no wind erosion observed at 60 °C. The suggested slurry compounds have shown a strong ability to enhance the mechanical properties of soil, increase soil water retention, and reduce wind erosion of sandy soil.