Biogeosynthetic recycling of iron-ore tailings for green stabilization of expansive soils

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dc.contributor.authorMehmood, Mudassir
dc.contributor.authorNie, Wen
dc.contributor.authorLiu, Yunlong
dc.contributor.authorOnyelowe, Kennedy
dc.contributor.authorJalal, Fazal E.
dc.contributor.authorPeng, Shoujian
dc.contributor.authorUmar, Muhammad
dc.contributor.authorKamchoom, Viroon
dc.date.accessioned2026-08-06T10:56:07Z
dc.date.available2026-08-06T10:56:07Z
dc.date.issued2026-07-01
dc.description.abstractExpansive soils pose a significant challenge to civil infrastructure due to their high potential for expansion and contraction. These soils exhibit poor mechanical properties, leading to severe structural damage and high maintenance costs. To address these challenges, conventional stabilization like cement or lime, are widely used; however, their production substantially increases global carbon dioxide emissions and energy requirements. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop sustainable alternatives that enhance soil performance while minimizing environmental impact by utilizing industrial by-products. In response to this need, this study proposes a sustainable composite reinforcement scheme that combines enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP), sisal fiber (SFs) reinforcement, and iron ore tailings (IOts) to treat expansive soil by deploying laboratory testing and response surface modeling (RSM). Utilizing the experimental and validated optimal mix (0.75 mol/L EICP + 0.53 % SFs + 11.7 % IOts) reduced swelling pressure ∼98 % while increasing the unconfined compressive strength ∼262 %, cohesion ∼78 %, the angle of internal friction ∼172 %, Unsoaked California Bearing Ratio (CBR<inf>unsoak)</inf> from 2.4 % to ∼26 % and CBR<inf>soak</inf> 1.7 % to ∼20 % after 28 days curing. In addition, SEM and EDS analyses confirmed synergistic microstructural interactions, resulting in a highly reinforced soil composite. Moreover, the RSM model showed good agreement with the experimental results, with errors controlled within ±5 %, validating the robustness of the model. By reusing mining waste and utilizing renewable fibers, this approach demonstrates a low-carbon, cost-effective, and scalable stabilization strategy that enhances infrastructure resilience and promotes circular economy objectives.
dc.identifier.citationCase Studies in Construction Materials, 24, 2026
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.cscm.2026.e05781
dc.identifier.issn22145095
dc.identifier.other2-s2.0-105029580616
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.kmitl.ac.th/handle/123456789/18259
dc.sourceCase Studies in Construction Materials
dc.subjectCircular economy
dc.subjectEICP
dc.subjectGreen stabilization
dc.subjectRecycling
dc.subjectResponse surface methodology
dc.subjectSisal fiber reinforcement
dc.titleBiogeosynthetic recycling of iron-ore tailings for green stabilization of expansive soils
dc.typeArticle

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