ABSTRACT
Earthquake-induced soil liquefaction can lead to the loss of shear strength of soil, resulting in substantial damage to the structures constructed on such deposits. This study investigated the effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT), as an additive to improve the liquefaction resistance of sand. A series of undrained cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on sand specimens with varying CNT contents (0.25% and 0.5%) at a constant equivalent sand relative density of 25%. The results showed an increase in the liquefaction resistance of the mixture with increasing CNT content. Additionally, the introduction of metakaolin (3% and 5%) as a binder to the sand-CNT mixture resulted in a further increase in liquefaction resistance. Post-test microstructural analysis confirmed the reinforcement mechanisms within the sand-CNT-metakaolin composite. The composite was also tested for strength improvement after a 48-hour curing period following saturation, where it showed only marginal improvement in liquefaction resistance compared to uncured mixture.
