Impact of soil treatment on internal erosion resistance and hydro-mechanical characteristics of a silty soil

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of soil treatment on the internal erosion and the hydro-mechanical characteristics of a silty soil. The study is focused on the treatment by kaolinite, bentonite, lime and cement, with different amounts and curing periods. A new enhanced Hole Erosion Test was developed especially to study the internal erosion of treated soils using high hydraulic shear stresses. The use of clayey products decreases both the hydraulic conductivity and the coefficient of soil erosion without changing the mechanical behavior. Lime and cement treatment induce a significant improvement of both internal erosion resistance and strength, and also keep the same level of hydraulic conductivity, and may even decrease it in some cases. The magnitude of these modifications is related to the nature and amount of the treatment product, and the curing period. The cross relationships between the hydraulic conductivity, the unconfined compression strength and the internal erosion were also assessed.