Influence of Geopolymer on Soil Mechanical Strength in Landfill Soil Liner Application

Abstract

Landfill soil liner is an essential component, designed as a barrier between waste and groundwater for the environment. Improper soil compaction results in leachate infiltration into the environment. Compression of soil is vital to enhance the soil strength, improve bearing capacity, and soil stiffness of chemically modified soils or in-situ (natural). This paper aims to investigate the effect of the water content in geopolymer affecting the soil mechanical strength of compacted residual soil constructed according to existing standards. The soil was mixed with 5, 10, 15, and 20% of geopolymer by weight. The test carried out was divided into physical properties and compaction of residual soil, mix with geopolymer. Mixture samples were tested using a standard proctor and samples were compact at dry, wet, and optimum moisture content ranging from -2 and +2 of the optimum moisture content. The result shows that the addition of geopolymer as an additive has significant positive results on maximum dry density due to alteration in geopolymerization. The increases in geopolymer content are associated with a decrease in water content, leading to a significant increase in soil mechanical strength thus giving positive soil strength.