Effect of Nanomaterial Treatment on Geotechnical Properties of A Penang Soft Soil

This study aims to investigate the effect of addition of different nanomaterials, including nano Cu, nano MgO, and nano clay, on the geotechnical properties of soft soil samples from Penang State. Various amounts of nanomaterials (0.05% to 1%) were added to the soil to study their effect on the soil’s compaction characteristics, consistency limits, and compressive strength. Improvements in these geotechnical properties depended on the type of nanomaterials added, and increasing the percentage of each of the added nanomaterials increased the maximum dry density of the soil. The linear shrinkage and plasticity index decreased with increasing nanomaterial content. The unconfined compressive strength increased as the nanomaterial content increased up to a certain percentage in the soil and then decreased afterwards.