This study introduces an innovation for addressing the integral challenges associated with conventional geopolymerization techniques, specifically via developing mechanochemically geopolymeric activation (MGA) stabilizers that are environmental- and user-friendly for stabilizing soil. These MGA stabilizers' effectiveness is compared against their conventionally geopolymeric activation (CGA) counterparts. Also examined is the effect of granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) on the durability and strength of soil samples that have been stabilized, as well as the activation methods' effect on soil strength and efficacy following sulfuric acid (H2SO4) exposure. In terms of durability, the performance of these methods was determined by having the specimens submerged in a 1% H2SO4 solution for 60 and 120 days. Numerous aspects were evaluated, including visual appearance, mass changes, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), and the geopolymer-stabilized soil samples' Fourier infrared (FTIR) spectrum. It was found that the MGA samples' UCS bested that of the CGA-stabilized soil by 10-22%. The stabilized soil specimens' strength increased proportionally with GGBFS content; UCS values rose from 4.5 MPa at 50% GGBFS content to 9.7 MPa at 100% GGBFS content for MGA specimens. After 60 days of H2SO4 exposure, MAG-stabilized soils retained 80% of their UCS compared to 76% for CGA samples. After 120 days, residual UCS dropped to 53% and 48% for MGA and CGA samples, respectively. Notably, soils stabilized with 75% GGBFS exhibited superior resistance to H2SO4 degradation. Mechanochemical activation and high GGBFS content facilitated the formation of homogenous geopolymer gels, which encapsulated soil particles and contributed to a denser internal structure. These findings highlight the potential of MGA stabilizers as a durable and effective solution for soil stabilization in aggressive environments.

This paper presents an innovative approach to address inherent limitations in traditional geopolymerization methods by focusing on producing eco and user-friendly mechano-chemically activated geopolymeric (M-GP) stabilizers for soil stabilization applications. A comparative analysis is conducted to benchmark the effectiveness of these stabilizers against conventionally activated geopolymer (C-GP) stabilizers. The study also investigates the influence of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) amount on the mechanical and durability characteristics of stabilized soil specimens. Furthermore, the effect of activation techniques on the efficacy and strength of soil after sulfuric acid (H2SO4) 2 SO 4 ) exposure was investigated. The durability performance was evaluated by submerging the samples in a 1 % H2SO4 2 SO 4 solution for a period of 60 and 120 days. The evaluation addresses various aspects such as visual appearance, mass changes, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of geopolymer-stabilized soil samples. Results indicate that the UCS of M-GP samples surpassed C-GP-stabilized soil by 12-45 %. Moreover, the geopolymer-stabilized soil exhibited a significant increase in strength, with improvements of 114 %, 247 %, and 361 % observed at GGBFS content levels of 50 %, 75 %, and 100 % by weight, respectively. After exposure to the H2SO4 2 SO 4 solution, M-GP-stabilized soil demonstrated superior resistance to sulfuric acid compared to C-GP-stabilized soil. The residual ultimate compressive strength (UCS) for M-GP and C-GP specimens was 80 % and 76 % respectively after being subjected to the H2SO4 2 SO 4 solution for 60 days. However, these values further declined to 53 % and 48 % after 120 days of exposure. In addition, the result showed that geopolymer-stabilized soil containing 75 % slag exhibited superior resistance to H2SO4 2 SO 4 compared to other stabilized soil samples.