Agar Biopolymer as a Sustainable Alternative Binder to Enhance the Strength of Low-Plasticity Soil.

Low-plasticity silts (ML) found in Metro Manila, Philippines, characterized by low strength, stiffness, and bearing capacity, often require stabilization. Traditional methods using cement are associated with significant carbon emissions, causing environmental concerns. Sustainable materials such as agar biopolymers can be an alternative to cement to improve the strength of fine-grained soils. A comparative study was conducted on ML samples treated with agar and cement at different concentrations (1%, 3%, 5%, and 7%) and subjected to varying curing periods (7, 21, 28, and 35 days) under air-dried conditions using Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) tests. Agar-treated samples generally exhibited higher UCS values than cement-treated samples across the tested concentrations and curing periods. Samples with 3% and 5% agar were significantly stronger than their cement-treated counterparts. The strength of agar-treated soils peaked at a 5% concentration and subsequently decreased at 7% agar, possibly due to a masking effect. SEM-EDS analysis revealed that a 5% agar concentration achieved a balanced microstructure with effective particle bonding, while higher concentrations led to diminished strength due to reduced mechanical interlocking from excessive biopolymer coverage. Subsequent statistical analysis also indicated significant improvement using agar versus cement-treated and untreated soils, especially at 5% agar. A predictive polynomial regression model demonstrated the influence of curing days and agar concentration on UCS, attaining R = 0.94 vs. experimental values. Using agar biopolymers presents a promising and potentially more sustainable approach to soil, highlighting the potential of utilizing a locally abundant resource for geotechnical engineering applications.