Fixing clay with clay

In this experiment, the submicron mechanisms underpinning the stabilisation of a natural quick clay using a unique Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM), a natural calcined clay, will be investigated. The critical processes in these materials are governed by the particle size (nm - m) and therefore necessitate the high-resolution and fast phase contrast holotomography on saturated samples without detrimental sample preparation, possible only at ID16B. Scans on samples from ex-situ experiments will be compared with data on the intact material and the binders. This comparison will bring unique new insights into the evolving 3D morphology, starting from the natural state and ending with a fixed stable clay sample. Thereby, the experiment addresses fundamental mechanisms that make natural quick clays unstable, as well as engineering input in using calcined clays to stabilise natural quick clays: fixing clay with clay.