Natural Rubber Latex for Reducing Soil Brittleness Induced by Post-compaction Moisture Reduction

High brittleness of soil is an unfavourable characteristic that leads to sudden failure of slopes and retaining structures without warning. Post-compaction drying of soil increases the brittleness, and the scenario becomes critical when shrinkage leads to the development of tensile crack. The present study attempts to use natural rubber latex (NRL) to reduce soil brittleness caused by post-compaction drying. A number of samples with untreated and NRL-treated soils were compacted at dry of optimum and left for natural drying. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests were carried out after drying periods ranging from 1 to 28 days. Soil brittleness is assessed in terms of strain associated with peak strength and energy absorbed before failure. A reduction in brittleness was observed when the soil was treated with NRL. Also, it was observed that the strain at peak strength remains unaffected by the post-compaction moisture reduction in NRL-treated soil. Hence, NRL treatment can be considered a productive technique for mitigating brittleness-induced failure of geotechnical structures.