Performance-related properties of low-volume roads when stabilised with a sustainable anionic polyacrylamide: particle and specimen-levels study

Abstract

This study has been undertaken to investigate the benefit of using a sustainable water-soluble anionic polyacrylamide on different properties of pavement surface materials for low-volume roads. This study is centered on the engineering and physical properties performance at specimen and particle levels of three types of soils ranged from non-cohesive to medium and very cohesive soils. At specimen level, the mechanism of the polymeric additive stabilisation was investigated using the potential improvements of density, compressive strength, toughness and wearing resistance characteristics. However, at particle level, the stabilisation mechanism was inspected using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction tests. The results show that polyacrylamide was the main agent to enhance the physical and engineering properties of the soils tested. On the other hand, the results from the analysis at particle level show that the anionic polyacrylamide mainly interacts with soil particles by means of physical bonding rather than chemical interaction.

Keywords:

• Unconfined compressive strength
• toughness
• wearing resistance
• scanning electron microscopy
• X-ray diffraction
• polyacrylamide

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mr. Mark Holding from Earthco projects Pty Ltd for providing the stabiliser additive.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).