Abstract To improve engineering properties, eliminate structural defects and enhance the stability of loess. The eco-friendly materials biopolymer and basalt fiber are used as soil stabilizers to treat loess. Microstructural characterization and mechanical evaluations were conducted to assess the viability and reinforcement efficacy of biopolymer-fiber composites in loess stabilization. Guar gum (GG) exerts a notable influence on the stress-strain response of fiber-reinforced loess, whereas the compressive strength demonstrates a progressive enhancement with prolonged curing duration and elevated GG content. When GG = 2.0 %, the settlement of treated loess was the smallest, showing a strong compressive resistance. The rheological properties of GG-modified loess were evaluated through dynamic and static rheological tests, revealing a significant increase in shear stress, viscosity, storage modulus, and loss modulus with elevated GG content. When the shear strain is 10−4∼102 %, the dynamic shear stress changes in the range of 0∼10 kPa. Microstructure analysis shows that the hydrogel produced by GG and fibers combine to form a more tightly "gel-fiber network" system, which maximizes the restriction on the relative displacement of soil particles, thereby enhancing the loess matrix’s mechanical properties and overall structural integrity.
Kang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.