A review of studies conducted on the effect of natural biopolymers and pozzolans in soil improvement and stabilization

Nowadays, due to the widespread environmental pollution, the use of environmentally friendly materials is one of the necessities of human societies. Currently, the production of environmentally friendly geotechnical materials is essential with respect to sustainable geotechnical engineering. Recently, biopolymers and pozzolans are introduced as new binders in order to reduce the use of traditional materials in soil improvement and stabilization. Improvement with biopolymers and pozzolans shows greater efficiency and performance than other methods. The results of studies show that the use of xanthan and metakaolin biopolymers in soil stabilization and improvement are considered as environmentally friendly materials and reduce the amount of CO۲ emissions related to the construction industry due to the reduction in the use of cement. Studies have shown that the direct use of xanthan and metakaolin biopolymers in soil has more advantages than traditional methods and has shown good interaction with the soil. In addition, they can create reinforcing effects in the soil and provide strength and erosion resistance in the soil by significantly increasing its cohesion.

Keywords:

Natural biopolymer , soil stabilization , pozzolan , geotechnical engineering , environment