Experimental Study on the Permeability of Hydrophobic Powders Treated Loess

Natural loess soils generally possess loose structures and strong water sensitivity, which leads to various geological disasters upon wetting. This study aims to improve the anti-permeability and stability of loess under wetting conditions by using a novel hydrophobic power. We first treated loess specimens with hydrophobic powers at various concentrations, and a series of triaxial permeability tests were performed to study their permeability behaviour. Furthermore, soil-water contact angle tests and scanning electron microscope tests were carried out to investigate the mechanism of the hydrophobic powder reducing the permeability of loess from both micro and macro perspectives.