Laboratory tests on soft ground improvement by chemical electro-osmosis method

Based on the laboratory test method, the improvement effects of soft ground influenced by molar amount of cation, chemical action of CaCl₂ and Na₂SiO₃ are investigated. The distributions of drainage rate, soil conductivity, energy consumption, soil water content and shear strength after different tests are analyzed comparatively. For comparative analysis, the laboratory tests on soft ground improvement by the traditional electro-osmotic method are also carried out. The test results show that the increasing molar amount of cations in soft clay is one of the most effective methods to increase the drainage amount, to improve the drainage rate and to shorten the electro-osmotic duration. The average shear strength of soil treated by the combined injection of CaCl₂ and Na₂SiO₃ is increased by about 120%, and nearly 20% higher than that of injection of CaCl₂ or Na₂SiO₃ lonely. The combined method of CaCl₂ and Na₂SiO₃ has significant effect on improving the uniform distribution of water content and shear strength of soft clay after chemical electroosmotic treatment.