Soil improved with a hybrid alkali-activated cement from waste stone wool and OPC

The use of OPC as a construction material is currently being reconsidered owing to the generation of greenhouse gases during production. Geopolymers or alkali-activated cement (AAC) have been proposed as partial replacements because of their excellent chemical and mechanical properties, which are equal to or superior to those of OPC. The use of these alkaline types of cement in soil stabilization has also gained significant interest in the academic community because of the possibility of it being derived from industrial waste. In this study, clay soil stabilized with AAC using waste stone wool fiber (SW) as a precursor and stabilized with hybrid alkali-activated cement (HAAC) using SW and OPC was prepared and subsequently evaluated mechanically and chemically after 28 days of curing. The results showed a significant increase in soil strength with both stabilization processes. The maximum achieved unconfined compressive strength (UCS) in the soil stabilized with AAC was 0.9 MPa (15 % SW), while the strength achieved with HAAC was 1.7 MPa (10.5 % SW - 4.5 % OPC). The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of the latter combination was also determined, finding a value of 133 %, well above that of the soil without treatment (3.32 %). Through XRD, the A-type zeolite was identified as a product of the alkaline reaction, whereas the formation of N-A-S-H and C-A-S-H gels was observed via SEM. EDS mapping showed an increase in the atomic percentages of Si and Al in the soil specimens with HAAC, indicating the formation of Si-O-Si and Si-O-Al bonds. In addition to the potential application of this material in civil infrastructure related to soils (e.g., embankments and wall fillings), a sustainable construction material using industrial waste SW with a lower percentage of OPC is proposed. •Influence of Na:Al molar ratio on the UCS of soil with alkaline-activated hybrid cement from waste SW.•Identification of alkaline reaction products by XRD and SEM-EDS.•Response surface of alkaline Soil-waste SW-OPC system.•OPC increases soil UCS of alkaline-activated waste SW specimens.