Abstract:
This studied investigates the effect of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentration on the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) a on the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and the microstructure of soft Bangkok clay improved with bagasse ash (BA) and fly ash (FA), using flake NaOH as an alkaline activator. The study parameters include a soft Bangkok clay:binder ratio of 70:30, BA:FA ratio of 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 30:70 and 0:100 and NaOH content of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% by weight binder. The specimens were prepared at liquid limit and cured for 7, 28, 60 and 90 days The UCS and microstructural properties were evaluated and compared with the special requirements of the Department of Highways, which specify a UCS of no less than 1,000 kPa at 28-days for soil-cement column. The results indicate that UCS increases with NaOH due to N-A-S-H gel formation, enhancing the structure. Excess NaOH, however, increases porosity from excessive alkali reactions. FA incorporation reduces porosity and improves the structure through C-S-H formation. The samples that met the specified requirements were BA50:FA50:NH30, BA30:FA70:NH30, and BA0:FA100:NH30. SEM analysis showed BA-only samples had higher porosity, while FA samples were denser with more gel coverage. EDX confirmed that Na/Al, Si/Al, and Ca/Si ratios in the selected samples were favorable for geopolymerization and structural development.