Method of soil stabilization
OwnerJohn B. Leonard, Jr., Laurence Latta, Jr.inventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A soil stabilizer and a method of stabilizing soil, such as sub-bases, bases and wear courses of roads and airport runways, sand dunes and other loose, particulate material, which includes mixing an epoxy resin ester of unsaturated fatty acids with soil, preferably at the optimum moisture content of the soil, in ratios of as little as one part of chemical to 200 parts of soil, with the amount depending on the use. Optionally, small but effective quantities of cement may be added to the composition in the range of about 2 to 20% of the weight of the soil. A soil coating or top dressing may be applied to the resultant structure if desired. A method of agricultural reclamation, including a method of establishing plant cover, is also disclosed.
Claims29
A method of stabilizing soil which comprises the steps of
- applying to the soil an aqueous emulsion comprising water and an epoxy resin ester which is a reaction product of bisphenol A-glycidyl ether type epoxy resin with an unsaturated fatty acid, and wherein the ratio of water to said reaction product is about 1:1 to about 1000:1, in an amount sufficient to wet the soil to a predetermined thickness;
- compacting the wet soil to a predetermined density;
- and
- curing the reaction product wetting the compacted soil at ambient conditions.
In a method of making a stabilized soil structure the steps of
- applying to the soil an effective amount of a soil binder composition in liquid form which comprises a reaction product of bisphenol A-glycidyl ether-type epoxy resin with an unsaturated fatty acid having an iodine value of at least 90 and in which the mol ratio of fatty acid to bisphenol A units is about 0.5 to about 1.7, a free fatty acid present in an amount of 0 to about 20 percent by weight of said reaction product, and a fatty acid ester derived from a member of the group consisting of a lower alkyl alcohol and a glycol and which is present in an amount of 0 to about 60 percent by weight of said reaction product;
- said soil binder composition being dilutable with a diluent which is a member of the group consisting of water and an organic solvent;
- and, thereafter
- curing the composition applied to the soil by exposure to existing weather conditions until a self-sustaining, solid structure capable of supporting loads is obtained.
In a method of making a stabilized soil structure, the steps of
- mixing a small but effective amount of cement with soil to be stabilized,
- applying to the soil an effective amount of a soil binder composition in liquid form which comprises a reaction product of bisphenol A-glycidyl ether-type epoxy resin with an unsaturated fatty acid having an iodine value of at least 90 and in which the mol ratio of fatty acid to bisphenol A units is about 0.5 to about 1.7, a free fatty acid present in an amount of 0 to about 20 percent by weight of said reaction product, and a fatty acid ester derived from a member of the group consisting of a lower alkyl alcohol and a glycol and which is present in an amount of 0 to about 60 percent by weight of said reaction product;
- said soil binder composition being dilutable with a diluent which is a member of the group consisting of water and an organic solvent;
- and thereafter
- curing the composition applied to the soil/cement mixture by exposure to existing weather conditions until a self-sustaining solid structure capable of supporting loads is obtained.
A method of stabilizing loose soil, said method including the steps of
- forming an aqueous soil binder composition which comprises a reaction product of bisphenol A-glycidyl ether type epoxy resin with an unsaturated fatty acid having an iodine value of at least 90 and in which the mol ratio of fatty acid to bisphenol A units is about 0.5 to about 1.7, a free fatty acid present in an amount of 0 to about 20 percent by weight of said reaction product, and a fatty acid ester derived from a member of the group consisting of a lower alkyl alcohol and a glycol and which is present in an amount of 0 to about 60 percent by weight of said reaction product, and water,
- applying an effective amount of said aqueous soil binder composition in spray form to loose soil to be stabilized, and
- curing the soil treated as above by exposure to existing weather conditions until a self-sustaining, solid structure capable of supporting a foot load is obtained.
A stabilized soil structure produced by the process which includes the steps of
- determining the optimum moisture content of the soil,
- displacing the soil particles from which the structure is to be formed from their natural position,
- mixing the displaced soil particles with an effective amount of an aqueous soil binder composition which comprises a reaction product of bisphenol A-glycidyl ether type epoxy resin with an unsaturated fatty acid having an iodine value of at least 90 and in which the mol ratio of fatty acid to bisphenol A units is about 0.5 to about 1.7, a free fatty acid present in an amount of 0 to about 20 percent by weight of said reaction product, and a fatty acid ester derived from a member of the group consisting of a lower alkyl alcohol and a glycol and which is present in an amount of 0 to about 60 percent by weight of said reaction product, and water,
- placing the obtained soil/binder composition mixture in position for compaction,
- compacting said soil/binder composition mixture, and thereafter
- curing the compacted soil/binder composition mixture by exposure to existing weather conditions until a self-sustaining solid structure capable of supporting loads is obtained.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.