Quicksand Fans

This is a technical moot point that I've been wondering about recently.

I know from my own experience with silt deposit mudflats that the density tends to vary (and therefore, the 'sinkability') in spots that are in close proximity to each other. Why that should occur is a mystery to me, but is not especially relevant here. I distinctly recall my surpise upon returning to an area that I agitated and then semi-liquified a year before, by adding water, and contrary to my expectations the mud was remarkably solid - as if the churning process had released all the microscopic air bubbles that were orginally laid down with the deposits. This is an area of intertidal mudflats, incidentally.

It got me thinking that it might be possible to mechanically introduce tiny air bubbles into a gelationous mud mixture (clay, for example), as it was being pumped through a pipe under high pressure, just before entering the prepared pit. I would speculate that providing the air bubbles were sufficiently small, they would not escape to the surface without fairly vigorous agitation. I would imagine that such apparatus exists for some industrial purpose. And once the mud had dehydrated and thickened up a bit, it would be even harder for the air particles to escape. I don't know how many cubic inches per cubic yard (or PPM) would be required to make a substantial difference in density, but I understand the compressive nature of pneumatics.

The practical upshot of this would be (at least theoretically) to make it easier to sink into more viscous mud (thick and deep is a winning combination IMO) without first having to water it down.

I'm guessing this is why it is easier to sink into peat bogs, because they appear much less dense than clay.

If only I could test this theory...

the process is used in making lightweight concrete for building purposes

basically a foam generator uses compressed air which is forced through a lance along with water and a surfactant (foaming agent) to create a foam similar to shaving foam (known as cellular foam)

the foam is then added and gently mixed into concrete as if it was the water part of the mixture and the result is a concrete mix that can be thick or flowable depending on the need for it and that is much lower in density than a normall concrete mix as the tiny air bubbles take up a lot of the room

the foam generators are available to buy,.. some of which are smaller portable units that dont need an externall compressor

ive been after one for a while as ive developed a thing for filling my bath tub with shaving foam to simulate sinking in something when its to cold to do it outside and a machine that creates mass amounts of foam quickly and cheaply would certainly do the trick,.. sadly they cost well in excess of £1500.00 to buy..but im still watching ebay lol

threre are some vids of them in operation on yt,.. just search for cellular concrete of foam generator

gaz