ABSTRACT
Liquefaction-induced failures pose significant risks to infrastructure, necessitating sustainable soil stabilization techniques. With growing emphasis on sustainability, biopolymers like chitosan have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional stabilizers like cement and lime. This study evaluates chitosan, a biopolymer, as a potential stabilizer for silty sand. Labora-tory tests assessed the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of treated soil (0–2% chitosan) over 3–28 days of curing. Results showed a progressive increase in UCS with higher chitosan content and longer curing, peaking at 660 kPa for the 2% sample after 28 days. Cyclic triaxial testing further demonstrated that chitosan treatment reduced excess pore pressure buildup by 31%, with a maximum pore pressure ratio of 0.69 compared to untreated soil, indicating superior re-sistance to liquefaction. These findings indicate that chitosan not only strengthens soil structure but also enhances liquefaction resistance by mitigating pore pressure accumulation. Given its sus-tainability and performance, chitosan presents a viable green alternative for geotechnical applica-tions in earthquake-prone regions.
