Abstract
Installation of salt wells filled with potassium chloride may be used as a ground improvement method in quick-clay hazard areas. The migration of potassium chloride is self-driven by molecular diffusion. The effectiveness of improving the geotechnical properties and the time to do so, depend on hydrogeological conditions at the site, original pore water composition and concentration, adsorbed ions, mineral type, and cation exchange capacity. Increased salt content in the pore water decreases the repulsive forces acting between the mineral surfaces. By decreasing the repulsive forces, the liquid limit and remolded shear strength increase, indicating the improvement of the post-failure properties. The clay particles no longer repel one another, ultimately preventing development of retrogressive landslides.
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Acknowledgments
The authors express their sincere gratitude to Prof. Emeritus J.K. Torrance for his discussions and comments, improving the manuscript, as well as all the people that have contributed in discussions during this project; especially Arnfinn Emdal, Mike Long, Tor Løken, Øyvind A. Høydal, Elisabeth Gundersen and Anders Samstad Gylland. A number of people have contributed in ground investigations and laboratory work, all of which made it possible to carry out this extensive work.
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Helle, T.E., Aagaard, P., Nordal, S. (2017). Improving the Post-failure Properties in Quick Clays by Treatment with Potassium Chloride. In: Thakur, V., L'Heureux, JS., Locat, A. (eds) Landslides in Sensitive Clays. Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, vol 46. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56487-6_4
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