Seminar-1 (srikanta sahu, 216ce1034)

Stabilization of Dispersive Soil Using Industrial By-products

Soils that are displaced easily and quickly in flowing water of low salt
concentration are called dispersive soils. The structures like, earthen embankments,
channels are liable to severe erosion. The erodability of clayey soil due to the flow
of rain water is a serious issue in long term performance of structures. So, for these
type of applications, it becomes significant to test the erodability especially during
high surface flow conditions. This type of erosion reveals itself that, as the internal
erosion creates a progressive exclusion of soil particles along the internal pore
channels known as piping. Dispersive soils are common in various parts of the
world such as India, United States, America, South Africa, Australia, Greece,
Thailand and others, pose difficulties in the stability of earthen structures, road fills
and other engineering structures. Dispersive nature can be identified easily but to
quantify it,is a difficult task. Simple geotechnical tests may not differentiate
between dispersive soil and ordinary erosion resistant clays. Double hydrometer
and crumb test has been done to calculate dispersion percentage and colloidal
nature of soil respectively. Variation of the tests are studied with the addition of
different percentage of cement clinker, fly ash and slag. The fly ash disposal has
been a major concern for many power plants as it requires area and cost both.
Furthermore the threat of leachate also poses the concerns about human and
aquatic life. So application of suitable in situ stabilization methods such as
chemical stabilization may bring about improvement in the properties of the ash
deposit as a whole, converting it the site usable properly. In this particular work an
effort has been made to study the effect of chemicals on fly ash properties by
varying percentages, concentrations and curing periods. laboratory model test tank
of diameter 105 cm and 120 cm height has been filled with ash slurry at 70% water
content with a centrally installed chemical column of sodium hydroxide having
different concentrations. Undisturbed samples were collected from different radial
distances of 15cm, 25cm, 35cm and 45 cm after curing periods of 7, 30, 60 and 90
days and the in-situ water content, dry density, unconfined compressive strength
and hydraulic conductivity were measured. The unconfined compressive strength
tests are carried out at 0, 7, 14, 28, 60 and 90 days curing period.