Effects of epoxy resin on ground-granulated blast furnace slag stabilized marine sediments

In this study, an environmentally friendly epoxy resin is mixed with ground-granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) for use as a stabilizer to enhance mechanical performance and leaching resistance properties of marine sediments. Investigations of unconfined compressive strength, Young's modulus, hydraulic conductivity and leaching behavior tests were performed on stabilized samples in order to understand the effects of hybrid stabilizer on sediment properties. In addition, XRD, SEM, EDX and moisture content analyses were conducted to illustrate the leaching controlled mechanism of the resin. Test results show that the mechanical performance is sensitive to the dosage of resin. The stabilized sediment sample with 5% of resin gave the best strength as well as excellent Young's modulus. Furthermore, the leaching controlled effect of the resin led to the stabilization of hazardous elements. The maximum content of As, Cd, V and Cr leached from the stabilized samples was much lower than the respective contamination limits of EP PART 503. The core–shell structure and chain-like framework which formed in the stabilized sediment system after the addition of resin could control the connection between the water environment and inorganic soluble minerals effectively. This investigation provides further beneficial uses of alkali-activated GGBS materials in the field of geotechnical engineering.