The Use of Electrokinetic Geosynthetics to Improve Soft Soils

Glendinning, S; Jones, CJFP; Lamont-Black, J

doi:10.1016/B978-0-08-100191-2.00013-7

The Use of Electrokinetic Geosynthetics to Improve Soft Soils

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Stephanie Glendinning, Emeritus Professor Colin Jones, Dr John Lamont-Black

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Abstract

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. The usual applications of geosynthetics are related to the civil engineering and environmental industries and are well established as providing filtration, separation, reinforcement, and drainage and acting as barriers. In use, conventional geosynthetic materials have a passive role; for example, barriers stop the passage of liquids, reinforcement provides tensile resistance, and drains provide a passage for water. New applications for geosynthetics can be identified if the geosynthetic can provide an active role, initiating chemical or physical change to the soil matrix in which it is installed as well as providing the established functions. This can be achieved by creating electrically conducting geosynthetics and combining electrokinetic functions with established functions. The main electrokinetic functions that can be used in geotechnical engineering are electrophoresis and electro-osmosis. These are currently little used mainly due to inherent problems associated with electrode corrosion. The new development of electrically conductive geosynthetics has overcome the technical problems of applying electro-osmosis techniques to practical problems. Because electrokinetics are little understood, the first part of the chapter explains the physics and the parameters that influence the performance of electro-osmosis and describes the different testing requirements needed for design. The design and construction of a full-scale reinforced fill wall built using fill in the form of a slurry is covered in detail. This illustrates the benefits that can be gained using electrically conductive geosynthetics. Finally, a number of different applications of electrically conductive geosynthetics are described.