The effect of primary stabilizers for stabilization/solidification of oil-polluted soils – a review
Hamed Haghsheno, Mahyar Arabani
Abstract
Oil-polluted soil is a huge environmental problem that threatens ecological systems around the globe and poses geotechnical challenges. This research aimed to review the influence of the stabilization/solidification (S/S) technique using primary stabilizers including cement or lime to remediate fresh oil-contaminated soils. For this purpose, previous studies were reviewed and summarized and their key findings were presented. The effect of various factors, including the interaction between the stabilizer and pollutant, curing period, the amount of pollutant and stabilizer, etc. was investigated on the geotechnical parameters of oil-polluted soils’ S/S by using cement and lime. The findings revealed that oil contaminants have a destructive impact on pozzolanic reactions and strength growth by preventing the separation of alumino-silicates from soil particles. Cement and lime decrease the concentration of hydrocarbon compounds by increasing pH, and improve the soil's properties by reducing the plasticity index via cation exchange and flocculation-agglomeration. Raising the amount of lime and cement and prolonging the curing period reduce porosity during the hydration process and decrease the coefficients of permeability and consolidation. Based on the findings of this research, the optimal amount of these stabilizers was suggested according to the amount of pollutant in order to improve the geotechnical characteristics of contaminated soils.