Effect of polymer emulsion on the bearing capacity of aeolian sand under extreme confinement conditions

•Stabilization of aeolian sand by means of a vinyl acrylic, polymer emulsion treatment.•Experimental investigation aiming to analyze the improvement after the treatment.•Compaction and Bearing capacity under variable conditions of lateral confinement.•Supporting polymer emulsion as an alternative to the traditional additives for this material. An experimental investigation, aimed at evaluating the improvement of aeolian sand (from Saudi Arabia) when treated with low dosages of a vinyl acrylic (a polymer emulsion), is reported in this paper. Special attention is devoted to the influence of the lateral confinement, particularly in terms of compaction and bearing capacity (represented by CBR), for which a modification of the standard test has been developed trying to simulate extreme confinement conditions. Experimental results demonstrate that this kind of chemical stabilizers can be considered as a suitable alternative for these materials. The main modifications induced in the sand by this additive are highlighted and quantified by means of the modification achieved for different geotechnical properties as well as Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX) analyses.