Use of Sodium Silicate in Combination with Cement for Improving Peat Soil in Mekong River Delta - Vietnam

Peat soil is formed from river-bog sediments (abQ232) are largely distributed in Mekong river Delta provinces-Vietnam such as Kien Giang, Hau Giang, Bạc Liêu and Ca Mau. The resuls of research to improve them with many kinds of cements showed that the unconfined compressive strength of soil samples reinforced by cements had increased within 28 days, from 28 to 56 days this strength was reduced. Research for improving the soil above by cement and sodium silicate to increase the strength and stability with curing time had been conducted. The results showed that the concent of 0.5% of sodium silicate in comparison with cement mass was added to soil samples, their strength increased significantly when compared to soil samples without sodium silicate and greater than that of the soil samples reinforced by contents of 1%, 1.5% and 2% of sodium silicate in comparison with cement mass and also the concent of 0.5% of sodium silicate in comparison with cement mass added to soil sample has solved the problem of reducing soil sample strength with curing time.