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Role of Clay Mineralogy in Geotechnical Engineering Behavior of Clay...
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Role of Clay Mineralogy in Geotechnical Engineering Behavior of Clay Soils

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 3375

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hossam Abuel-Naga

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Engineering Department, School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
Interests: civil geotechnical engineering; soil behaviour under multi-physical coupled processes; nuclear waste disposal technology; methane hydrate mining technique; energy foundations; ground improvement; landfill lining system
Dr. Anasua GuhaRay

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus, Jawahar Nagar, Kapra Mandal, Medchal District, Hyderabad 500078, India
Interests: groud improvement; soft soil modification; agricultural and industrial waste; clay mineralogy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Clay mineralogy plays a pivotal role in determining the geotechnical engineering properties of clay soils. The unique characteristics of clay minerals, including their type, composition, and arrangement, significantly impact the clay's microstructure, electrochemical activity, and interactions with water. These factors collectively influence the engineering behavior and stability of clay in a wide range of applications, such as foundation engineering, slope stability, landfill liners, and embankment and road construction. Understanding the mineralogical composition of clay is essential for predicting and mitigating potential issues related to shrink–swell behavior, shear strength, and permeability, thereby ensuring the reliability and safety of geotechnical structures.

This Special Issue invites submissions that present original scientific research on the effect of clay mineralogy on the engineering behavior of clayey soils. This Special Issue will focus on, but is not limited to, the following topics related to the influence of clay mineralogy:

  • Coupled multi-physical behavior of clay soils, including the following:
    • Hydro-mechanical behavior;
    • Thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior;
    • Chemo-hydro-mechanical behavior.
  • Electrochemical interactions in clay soils.
  • Heat and mass transport in clay soils.
  • Chemical, thermal, and biochemical stabilization of clay soils.
  • Contaminant transport and remediation of clay soils.
  • Engineered clay barrier design.

Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to submit papers that enhance our understanding of these areas, thereby contributing to the development of more reliable and effective geotechnical engineering practices.

Prof. Dr. Hossam Abuel-Naga
Dr. Anasua GuhaRay
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • behavior of clayey soil
  • stabilization of clayey soil
  • contaminant transport
  • clay barrier

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 4894 KiB  
Article
Microstructural Characterization of Expansive Soil Stabilized with Coconut Husk Ash: A Multi-Technique Investigation into Mineralogy, Pore Architecture, and Surface Interactions
by Ankur Abhishek, Anasua GuhaRay, Toshiro Hata and Hossam Abuel-Naga
Minerals 2025, 15(5), 516; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15050516 - 14 May 2025
Viewed by 305
Abstract
Black cotton soil (BCS) is unsuitable for construction due to its high plasticity, low shear strength, and significant volume changes upon wetting and drying. The present study investigates the effectiveness of an alkali-activated coconut husk ash (CHA) binder in improving the geotechnical properties [...] Read more.
Black cotton soil (BCS) is unsuitable for construction due to its high plasticity, low shear strength, and significant volume changes upon wetting and drying. The present study investigates the effectiveness of an alkali-activated coconut husk ash (CHA) binder in improving the geotechnical properties of BCS. CHA is derived from coconut husk and serves as a sustainable binder. Microstructural characterization of untreated and CHA-treated BCS was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The specific surface area (SSA) and porosity were evaluated using nitrogen gas adsorption methods based on the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and Langmuir techniques. The Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) method demonstrated a decrease in mean pore diameter from 6.7 nm to 6.2 nm following CHA treatment. The SSA diminished from 40.94 m2/g to 25.59 m2/g, signifying the development of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gels that occupied the pore spaces. The formation of pozzolanic reaction products enhanced the microstructural integrity of the treated soil. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test results at 24 h and 28 days of curing for CHA-treated soil have been incorporated to analyze the optimum binder content. The UCS values enhanced significantly from 182 kPa to 305 kPa and 1030 kPa, respectively, at 9% binder content after 24 h and 28 days of curing. The microstructural and mechanical strength test analysis results indicated that CHA is a feasible and environmentally sustainable substitute for BCS stabilization. CHA-based AAB will be an eco-friendly alternative to cement and lime, reducing CO2 emissions and construction costs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Clay Mineralogy in Geotechnical Engineering Behavior of Clay Soils)
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16 pages, 4730 KiB  
Article
Effects of Expansive Clay Content on the Hydromechanical Behavior of Liners Under Freeze-Thaw Conditions
by Ahmed M. Al-Mahbashi and Muawia Dafalla
Minerals 2025, 15(3), 291; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030291 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 617
Abstract
In several geotechnical and geoenvironmental projects, fines containing expandable clay minerals such as expansive clay (EC) were added to sand as sealing materials to form liners or hydraulic barriers. Liner layers are generally exposed to different climatic conditions such as freeze-thaw (FT) during [...] Read more.
In several geotechnical and geoenvironmental projects, fines containing expandable clay minerals such as expansive clay (EC) were added to sand as sealing materials to form liners or hydraulic barriers. Liner layers are generally exposed to different climatic conditions such as freeze-thaw (FT) during their service lifetime. The hydromechanical behavior of these layers under such circumstances is of great significance. In this study, the impact of fine contents of expansive soil on swelling, consolidation characteristics, and hydraulic conductivity under FT conditions is examined. Different clay liners with 20%, 30%, and 60% of EC content were designed. The specimens were initially subjected to successive FT cycles up to 15 in close system criteria. The results revealed that volumetric strains attained during successive FT cycles are proportional to the content and nature of expanding minerals (i.e., montmorillonite) and reached a 4.5% magnitude value for the liner with 60% clay. Vertical strains during wetting conditions have been reduced by about 90% after the first FT cycles, which implies significant destruction in the soil structure. The yield stress indicated a 60% change, along with increasing FT cycles. The hydraulic conductivity during an extended period of 100 days shows significant changes and deterioration due to FT actions. The outcome of this study will help to predict the lifetime behavior and performance of the liner, taking into account the stability under frost conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Clay Mineralogy in Geotechnical Engineering Behavior of Clay Soils)
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18 pages, 5792 KiB  
Article
X-Ray Diffraction Assessment of Expanding Minerals in a Semi-Arid Environment
by Muawia Dafalla, Ahmed M. Al-Mahbashi and Mosleh Al-Shamrani
Minerals 2025, 15(3), 216; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030216 - 23 Feb 2025
Viewed by 503
Abstract
In semi-arid areas, light buildings, highways, and pavements are frequently damaged by the subsurface swelling or shrinkage of expansive soils during both wetting and drying cycles. The goal of this research is to explore the X-ray diffraction of natural clay with bentonite additives [...] Read more.
In semi-arid areas, light buildings, highways, and pavements are frequently damaged by the subsurface swelling or shrinkage of expansive soils during both wetting and drying cycles. The goal of this research is to explore the X-ray diffraction of natural clay with bentonite additives in order to determine the amount of expanding minerals in the clay based on changes in the diffractometer profile and diffraction intensity. Mineralogical studies are crucial for determining the geotechnical behavior of these soils. Five semi-arid areas were chosen to explore the key minerals that influence geotechnical behavior. The various geological backgrounds were reflected in differing expansivities, and X-ray diffraction revealed considerable mineralogy differences between the five zones under consideration. Non-sharp peaks rose above background intensities in zones containing smectite clay minerals. Significant expanding minerals produced distinct peaks in the clays. Adding 10, 20, 30, and 40% commercial bentonite changed the peak size and area beneath the peak. Overlapping intensities in clay minerals can affect the intensity of peaks in lower 2θ ranges. This was discovered to influence the method of quantification and can be improved by the usage of heating or glycolation processes. The diffraction profile for each examined area is supplied, along with an identification of expansion minerals. The methodology is provided for estimating clay minerals in areas with similar geological origins. Qatif clays were discovered to be the most expansive with estimated expanded mineral concentrations ranging from 23.9 to 34.7%. The remaining four clays had mineral concentrations ranging from 4.4 to 20%. Two proposed semi-quantitative methods are investigated. The peak intensity method produced better results than the area under the peak method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Clay Mineralogy in Geotechnical Engineering Behavior of Clay Soils)
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22 pages, 2762 KiB  
Article
On the Question of Finding Relationship Between Structural Features of Smectites and Adsorption and Surface Properties of Bentonites
by Victoria Krupskaya, Sergey Zakusin, Olga Zakusina, Petr Belousov, Boris Pokidko, Ivan Morozov, Tatiana Zaitseva, Ekaterina Tyupina and Tatiana Koroleva
Minerals 2025, 15(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15010030 - 29 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1065
Abstract
During the development of the disposal concept in a crystalline massif of the Russian Federation, a question arose regarding the selection of the most suitable types of bentonite for a buffer layer. Data on the composition, structure, surface, and adsorption properties of four [...] Read more.
During the development of the disposal concept in a crystalline massif of the Russian Federation, a question arose regarding the selection of the most suitable types of bentonite for a buffer layer. Data on the composition, structure, surface, and adsorption properties of four promising deposits have been obtained. The correlations between genesis and specific surface area (SSA) revealed in this study indicate that bentonites of volcanogenic-sedimentary origin have lower SSA in comparison with those of sedimentary and hydrothermal origin. The main contribution to the charge of the 2:1 layer is made by isomorphic substitutions in the tetrahedral sheet, which directly affects the sorption properties of bentonites. The influence of smectite structure on adsorption properties have been described. In particular, the dependencies between the layer charge and cation exchange capacity (CEC) have been analyzed. At the same time, the research indicates that, unlike the CEC, the specific surface area of a deposit is determined by its geological history. Special attention is being paid to refining methodological approaches for deriving crystal chemical formulae of smectites, which will be needed in the future for modelling changes in bentonite over a long-term perspective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Clay Mineralogy in Geotechnical Engineering Behavior of Clay Soils)
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