Enhancing Soil Shear Strength Using Gum Arabic as a Natural Biopolymer Stabilized

Abstract

The goal of soil stabilization, a crucial component of geotechnical engineering, is to increase the performance and stability of soils used in building. Conventional stabilizers, including cement and synthetic chemicals, frequently provide financial and environmental difficulties. The goal of this study was to assess gum Arabic's potential as a substitute soil stabilizer. Gum Arabic is a naturally occurring polysaccharide. The main objective is to evaluate how well gum Arabic improves the soil's consolidation qualities by ascertaining the effect of gum Arabic on soil stability and determining the best doses for various uses by incorporating it into different types of soil. Gum Arabic was applied in different dosages (0% to 1.0%) to two types of soil: brownish fine-grained clayey soil (Sample B) and greyish sandy gravelly soil (Sample A). To ascertain the impact of stabilization, the soil's shear strength (direct shear) was examined. According to the findings of this study, moderate dosages of gum Arabic considerably enhanced the qualities of the soil. The stabilization effects peaked at 0.7% for Sample A (54%, i.e 37% increase) and 0.7% for Sample B (40%, i.e 18% increase), indicating a significant increase in the soil samples' shear strength. The study's conclusion highlights the ideal treatment amount of 0.7% Gum Arabic, which increases soil strength.