The effect of curing conditions on the hydromechanical properties of a metakaolin-based soilcrete

An attractive approach to reduce the carbon dioxide footprint of deep soil mixing (DSM) is replace Portland cement-based binders by geopolymers based on metakaolin. Safe design requires a good understanding mechanical and hydraulic properties improved ground, but very little known about metakaolin–soil mixtures. For instance, shrinkage during curing significant issue for metakaolin-based concretes has not been previously studied in soilcretes. In this work permeability strength sand- silty sand-based metakaolin soilcretes are under different conditions. The development microcracks induced geopolymer confirmed through microstructural study using mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy X-ray computed tomography. influence microporosity binder filling clarified adapting well-established models. A modified Kozeny–Carman formulation proposed permeability. mixture ratio model calibrated represent strength. general, metakaolin-stabilised materials present excellent properties, although these sensitive