SHORT COMMUNICATION: EFFECT OF CURING TIME ON APPLICATION OF JAPANESE TRADITIONAL FORMULATION ON PEAT IN MALAYSIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11113/mjce.v37.25168Keywords:
Peat, curing time, Japanese traditional formulation, tataki, characteristicsAbstract
Working with peatland is very challenging due to its characteristics of low shear strength, high compressibility, and high-water content. Japanese traditional methods called tataki, an earthen floor with a formulation of soil with lime, bittern, and salt, and compact with beating, were well known for their ground enhancement for decades before the introduction of cement in construction industry. Therefore, the present study applied this tataki traditional method with some modification to peat soil in Malaysia. The effect of curing time on peat characteristics was observed up to 182 days. Kinetic models of Korsmeyer-Peppas, Higuchi, zero order, and first order for water-holding capacity flow were determined. The results showed that different curing time has not significantly affected soil shrinkage, pH values, or soil density (p>0.05). However, it has significantly affected the moisture content, soil strength, and strain at failure of soil (p<0.05). The kinetic study showed that the water-holding capacity inside the soil followed the Korsmeyer-Peppas and Higuchi models (R2≤1). Based on the experimental results, it was evident that the Japanese traditional formulation also worked well with peat soil in Malaysia. The chemical reaction of calcium hydroxide with peat soil could help in better understanding factors that might influence the peat performance.
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