Series multi-anode electrokinetic stabilization of marine clay with Fe/Al polymers: enhancing strength uniformity and reducing plasticity

Marine clays exhibit high plasticity, low strength, and poor water stability, creating ongoing challenges in geotechnical engineering. Electrokinetic stabilization is a potential solution but faces issues like electrode corrosion and high energy consumption. This study presents an improved electrical system using multiple anodes in series, combining polymeric ferric sulphate (PFS) and polymeric aluminium sulphate (PAS) to enhance marine clay properties. The new method increases surface bearing capacity by 14.1% and covers 97.4% of high-strength zones, with a slight 4.3% increase in energy consumption. Post-treatment, soil plasticity index decreases, especially near the cathode, with the PAS group showing a 57.6% reduction and maintaining stability for 108 hours. Following combined treatment with PFS and PAS, the organic matter content decreased significantly to 3.92 g/kg, achieving a removal rate of 75.1%. Using different chemical slurries alters soil properties, enabling tailored electrokinetic stabilization for various soils and affecting engineering applications.