Method for stabilizing soil and for providing a backfill for grounding members

A method for stabilizing water-containing soil comprising the steps of:

• combining an alkali metal salt of a starch-polyacrylonitrile or a starch-polymethacrylonitrile graft copolymer and lime with water-containing soil, the proportion of said copolymer to said lime being less than about 3:100 for soil containing about ten weight percent of water to less than about 2:100 for soil containing about forty weight percent of water, the proportion of said copolymer to said lime being greater than about 0.5:100, the proportions of copolymer and lime combined with said soil being effective to produce a compactable, relatively dry soil mass suitable for a load-supporting soil fill material.

A method for backfilling around an electrically conductive grounding member comprising the steps of:

• forming a cavity in the ground larger than said grounding member, placing said grounding member in said cavity,
• filling the space between the ground and said grounding member with a backfill material comprising an alkali metal salt of a starch-polyacrylonitrile graft copolymer or a starch-polymethacrylonitrile graft copolymer and water.

A backfill material for surrounding an electrically conductive grounding member comprising a mixture of composition that retards water flow through said material and a starch-polyacrylonitrile graft copolymer or a starch-polymethacrylonitrile graft copolymer.

A backfill material for surrounding the anode of a cathodic protection system comprising a mixture of a composition that retards water flow through said composition and a starch-polyacrylonitrile graft copolymer or a starch-polymethacrylonitrile graft copolymer.

A soil stabilizing material comprising:

• an alkali metal salt of a starch-polyacrylonitrile or a starch-polymethacrylonitrile graft copolymer, and a hydratable material.