Electro-osmosis: A review from the past

Abstract

Electro-osmosis is a powerful technique, as a means of dewatering soils of high compressibility and moisture content. Electro-osmosis is an established technique and has been investigated by many researchers as long as a century ago. The treatment factors that contribute to the effectiveness of electro-osmotic consolidation are: type of electrode, voltage gradient, polarity reversal, current intermittence, and duration of treatment. Copper, mild steel and stainless steel in different shapes and forms have been used as electrodes. Electrokineticgeosynthetics (EKG) used in electro-osmotic consolidation applications provide electrokinetic function in addition to the filtration and drainage functions. The EKG electrodes are less susceptible to corrosion due to the polymeric cover or treatment against corrosion. Even though most studies claim the effectiveness of this technique, the procedure is not widely accepted in the industry due to the risks and costs involved. This paper aims to review the suitability of this technique on soils around the world. Also, this paper looks closely into the properties of the soil that make it ideal for the success of this technique. With reference to Indian soils, the results of electro-osmosis studies on Kuttanad clay, are presented