Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering.

2012, 4 (4): 352–359

Dynamic characteristics of lime-treated expansive soil under cyclic

loading

Min Wang*, Lingwei Kong, Chong Zhao, Meng Zang

State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071,
China
Received 28 November 2011; received in revised form 17 February 2012; accepted 23 May 2012

Abstract: To better understand the dynamic properties of expansive clay treated with lime, a series of laboratory tests were
conducted using a dynamic triaxial test system. The influential factors, including moisture content, confining pressure,
vibration frequency, consolidation ratio, and cycle number on the dynamic characteristics were discussed. Experimental
results indicate that specimens at low moisture contents tend to damage along the 30 shear plane and they present brittle
failure, while saturated specimens show swelling phenomenon and plastic failure. A reduction in cohesion has been observed
for unsaturated samples at large number of cycles, while it is opposite for the internal friction angle. For the saturated
specimens, both the cohesion and internal friction angle decrease with increasing number of cycles.
Key words: expansive soil; lime-treated soil; dynamic characteristics; low lime proportion

of expansive soil has been referred to as the initial

1 Introduction
 and Grim, 1966). Basma and Tuncer (1991) reported
Expansive soil is one of problematic geomaterials,
and it is rich in clay minerals such as smectite,
kaolinite and illite. Expansive soil can cause damage
to the structures hosted on it because of the
wetting-drying cyclic process caused by rainfall and
evaporation. At present, with the prosperous
development of infrastructures such as motorways,
high-speed railways and canals, a lot of projects will
involves the areas with expansive clay. In this case,
ground improvement is necessary, for which one
conventionally used method is the soil stabilization
with lime that is fairly effective and economic.
Many studies have been conducted on the lime
consumption, physico-chemical reaction, static
stiffness and strength characteristics, etc. The
consumption of lime needed for optimum modification
Doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1235.2012.00352
*
Corresponding author. Tel: +86-15007120390;
E-mail: sacewangmin@126.com
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40772185)
and the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences
(kzcx2-yw-150)
consumption of lime (Hilt and Davidson, 1960; Eades
that the optimum addition of hydrated lime needed for
the stabilization is 2%–8%. While other researchers
(Bell, 1996; Kong et al., 2010) suggested that the
content of lime should be 1%–3%. It seems that this
percentage corresponds to a point where further
increase in lime will not cause any change in the
swelling potential. When lime is added to expansive
clay in the presence of water, reactions including
cation exchange, flocculation and pozzolanic reaction
take place. This leads to changes in soil plasticity,
swelling and shrinkage properties and permeability
(Clare and Cruchley, 1957; Diamond and Kinter, 1965;
Tuncer and Basma, 1991; Al-Rawas et al., 2005; Alper
et al., 2006). It was also found that, during the process
of physio-chemical reaction, new cementitious
compounds were produced, such as calcium silicate
hydrates (CSH), calcium aluminate hydrates (CAH)
and calcium alumino-silicate hydrates (CASH) (Glenn
and Handy, 1963; Rajasekaran and Rao, 1997).
Al-Mukhtar et al. (2010a, 2010b) further reported that
in the treated clay with 6% lime, CAH was identified
after 1 day and CSH after 7 days at 50 °C, while at
Min Wang et al. / J Rock Mech Geotech Eng. 2012, 4 (4): 352–359
20 °C only CAH was formed. Higher temperature
accelerates the pozzolanic reaction, resulting in a rapid
soil strength development. In addition, many
researchers have also examined the static strength
characteristics. It was found that the shear strengths
were improved significantly after lime stabilization,
and lime-treated expansive soil could maintain a
higher stable strength, even under the saturated
condition (Guo et al., 2007; Kong et al., 2010). A
number of experiments were carried out to evaluate
the influence of lime treatment on the microstructure
and subsequently on the hydraulic conductivity of
compacted silt (Ranganatham, 1961; Nalbantoglu and
Tuncer, 2001). The most common finding was that soil
treatment led to an increase in hydraulic conductivity
of soils (from highly expansive clays to low plasticity
silts; Cuisinier et al., 2011). Rao et al. (2001), Guney
et al. (2007), and Cuisinier and Deneele (2008)
observed that the swelling potential of lime-stabilized
soil increased when it was subjected to wetting-drying
cycle. The clay content of the cyclic samples increased,
which in turn affected the liquid limit, plastic limit,
shrinkage limit and swelling potential. Au and Chae
(1980) and Akoto and Singh (1986) carried out
column resonant tests and dynamic triaxial tests
respectively to study the influence of water content,
curing time and lime proportion on dynamic elastic
modulus.
Up to now, few studies have been systemically
reported to the dynamic properties of lime-treated
expansive clay. However, it is imperative to better
understand the dynamic properties of lime-treated soil
due to the boom of high-speed railways. In this study,
a series of laboratory tests were conducted to
understand the influences of different factors, such as
water content, confining pressure, vibration frequency,
consolidation ratio and cycle number, on the dynamic
characteristics of clayey soils.
2 Preparation of the samples
2.1 Soil and lime
The soil adopted in the study is Jingmen expansive
clay sampled in Hubei Province, China. Table 1 gives
the mineral compositions and particle components of
the soil sample. It is composed of clay minerals (80%),
like illite (35%), kaolinite (40%), smectite-illite
mixture (5%), and non-clay mineral like quartz (20%).
Physical properties of the tested soil are given in Table 2.
353
Quantitative analysis by thermal method indicates that
the lime contains 72.54% CaO and 1.06% MgO.
2.2 Samples preparation
Kong et al. (2010) reported that the optimum lime
proportion was 3% through laboratory tests. Given the
high heterogeneity for lime mixing in the construction
site, a lime consumption of 1% is adopted to simulate
the field condition. In order to determine the
controlling indices of samples of lime-treated
expansive soils, compaction tests were carried out
according to Test Methods of Soils for Highway
Engineering (JTG E40—2007), China. The controlling
indices of samples of lime-treated expansive soil are
given in Table 3.
The soil and lime were mixed in dry state to obtain
a uniform distribution, and then distilled water was
added until reaching the optimum water content. The
soil-lime-water mixture was thoroughly kneaded by
hand until it was homogeneous. After mixing,
specimens were tightly encased in a hermetic plastic
bag and stored at room temperature for 24 hours for
moisture homogenization.
To gain a required dry density, the mixture was
compacted in a special cylindrical mold (100 mm long,
50 mm in diameter) in a special mold. In order to
obtain homogeneous soil samples, the samples were
prepared by compaction in 5 layers. After that, the
compacted soil samples were immediately sealed with
plastic film and then put into moisturizing devices to
minimize water loss. All samples were cured for 28
days.
3 Dynamic triaxial tests
In this study, traffic load was simplified as
sinusoidal load. This test was performed as a
consolidated undrained triaxial one, where the cyclic
loading was removed when the maximum dynamic
strain reached 5%.
In order to identify the influence of different factors
on dynamic modulus, damping ratio, etc., three water
contents (w), 25.2% (saturated), 19% and 17%, were
adopted. The vibration frequency (f ) was 3, 5 and 9
Hz, respectively. The main consolidation ratio (Kc)
was 2. Confining pressure (3) varied from 25 to 100
kPa. Experimental scheme of dynamic modulus (Ed)
and damping ratio () are given in Table 4.
In the tests of dynamic strength, the parameters
354 Min Wang et al. / J Rock Mech Geotech Eng. 2012, 4 (4): 352–359

considered are as follows: (1) three water contents: confining pressures: 100, 150 and 200 kPa. The
25.2% (saturated), 19% and 17%; (2) vibration experimental scheme of dynamic strength is given in
frequency: 3 Hz; (3) consolidation ratio: 1.5; and (4) Table 5.

Table 1 Mineral compositions and particle components.

Mineral compositions (%) Particle components (%)

Smectite-illite
Illite Kaolinite Quartz >0.075 mm 0.075–0.005 mm 0.002–0.005 mm <0.002 mm
mixture

35 40 5 20 13.2 57.3 14.5 15

Table 2 Physical properties of the tested soil.

Natural Free Total Natural Dry Plasticity Volume
Contraction Shrinkage Liquid
moisture swelling swelling-shrinkage density density index shrinkage
coefficient limit (%) limit (%)
content (%) (%) rate (%) (g/cm3) (g/cm3) (%) ratio (%)
21.1–22.3 42 0.26 9.9 0.76 1.99 1.68 42.1 21.2 6.3

Table 3 Controlling indices of sample preparation for lime-treated expansive soil.

Degree of compaction Initial water content Optimum water content Maximum dry density
Lime proportion (%) Dry density (g/cm3)
(%) (%) (%) (g/cm3)
1 95 1.66 19 17 1.75

Table 4 Experimental scheme of dynamic modulus and damping ratio.

Consolidation ratio Water content (%) Confining pressure (kPa) Vibration frequency (Hz) Dynamic stress (kPa)

25 20–50

25.2 50 3, 5, 9 20–100

100 20–200

25 20–50
2 19 50 3, 5, 9 20–100

100 20–200

25 20–50

17 50 3, 5, 9 20–100

100 20–200

Table 5 Experimental scheme of dynamic strength.

Water content (%) Confining pressure (kPa) Consolidation ratio Vibration frequency (Hz)

100

25.2 150

200

150

19 200 1.5 3

250

150

17 200

250
Min Wang et al. / J Rock Mech Geotech Eng. 2012, 4 (4): 352–359 355

160

Dynamic modulus Ed (MPa)

4 Results and discussion 140
120
3 = 25 kPa
3 = 50 kPa
100
3 = 100 kPa
80
4.1 The dynamic modulus-strain curve 60
40
According to the viscoelastic constitutive model, 20
the dynamic modulus is defined as the slope of the two 0
0.000 0.001 0.002 0.003 0.004 0.005
endpoints in hysteresis loops: Dynamic strain d

Ed   d /  d (1) (a) w=19%, 3=50 kPa, Kc=2/3.

where  d ,  d are the axial dynamic stress and strain,

respectively. 200

Dynamic modulus Ed (MPa)

Kc=2, f=3 Hz
Hardin and Drnevich (1972) found that dynamic 150
Kc=2, f=5 Hz
Kc=2, f=9 Hz
stress-strain curve of soils revealed the general trend
100 Kc=3, f=9 Hz
of hyperbola under cyclic loading, and they simplified
it as 50

d 0
d  (2) 0.000 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008
1 / Edmax   d /  dmax Dynamic strain d
(b) w=25.2%, f=9 Hz, Kc=2.
where Edmax and  dmax are the maximum axial
dynamic modulus and stress, respectively.
Dynamic modulus Ed (MPa)

200
Assuming that a  1 / Edmax and b  1 /  dmax , ω=17%
Eq. (2) can be rewritten as 150 ω=19%
ω=25.2%
 d   d / (a  b d ) (3) 100

Combining Eqs. (1) and (3) gives: 50

1 / Ed  a  b d (4) 0
0.000 0.001 0.002 0.003 0.004
Thus Edmax can be determined through the curve of Dynamic strain d

1 (c) 3=50 kPa, Kc=2.

-  d . The experimental parameters obtained are
Ed Fig. 1 Dynamic modulus-strain curves.
shown in Table 4.
From Fig. 1 and Table 6, it can be observed that Table 6 Experimental parameters of lime-treated soil.
the dynamic modulus increases with vibration Vibration Confining pressure
frequency when the water content and confining Water content (%) Edmax (MPa)
frequency (Hz) (kPa)
pressure are the same. A dramatic growth of dynamic 17 3 100 196.08
modulus can be observed at high consolidation ratio. 17 5 100 232.56
Dynamic modulus increases with confining pressure; 17 9 100 322.58
in the initial phase, the impact of confining pressure 17 9 50 181.82
on dynamic modulus is evident. With the increase of 19 9 50 136.99
dynamic strain, dynamic modulus gradually 25.2 9 50 77.52
decreases. It is opposite for the water content: the 25.2 3 25 131.58
decrease of water content induces the growth of 25.2 3 50 169.49
dynamic modulus. It is also observed that the 25.2 3 100 196.08
dynamic modulus first declines gradually and then
reaches a leveling-off with the rise of number of curves can be described as follows:
cycles (Fig. 2(a)). In conclusion, among these factors, (1) Matrix suction increases due to the decrease in
consolidation ratio is the most important factor water content, then the effective stress increases and
affecting the dynamic modulus. thus the anti-dynamic deforming capacity is enhanced.
The results obtained from the dynamic stress-strain (2) The rise of confining pressure contributes to the
356 Min Wang et al. / J Rock Mech Geotech Eng. 2012, 4 (4): 352–359

140
120 Kc =2, f=3 Hz
Dynamic modulus

100 Kc =2, f=5 Hz

Ed (MPa)

80 0.12 Kc =2, f=9 Hz

60 0.10 Kc =3, f=9 Hz
40

Damping ratio λ
0.08
20
0 0.06
0 100 200 300 400 500 0.04
Cycle number
0.02
(a) w=25.2%,3=150 kPa, Kc=1.5, f=3 Hz, d=60 kPa.
0.00
0.000 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008
0.30
Dynamic strain d
0.28
0.26
Damping ratio λ

(a) w=19%, 3=50 kPa, Kc=2/3.

0.24
0.22 0.16
0.20 0.14
0.18
0.12

Damping ratio λ
0.16
0.14 0.10
0.12 0.08
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0.06 3 = 50 kPa
Cycle number 0.04 3 = 100 kPa
0.02 3 = 200 kPa
(b) w=25.2%, 3=100 kPa, Kc=2, f=3 Hz, d=56 kPa.
0.00
Fig. 2 Cycle number-dynamic modulus curves and cycle 0.000 0.001 0.002 0.003 0.004 0.005
number-damping ratio curves. Dynamic strain d
(b) w=25.2%, f=9 Hz, Kc=2.
ω=25.2%
growth of normal stress, thus the shear strength is 0.16 ω=19%
elevated. 0.14 ω=17%
Damping ratio λ

0.12
(3) A high vibration frequency implies a high 0.10
loading speed. As the stress-strain behavior is 0.08
0.06
time-dependent, there is no enough response time for 0.04
0.02
each cycle under high vibration, which leads to an 0.00
elevated strength. 0.000 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008
Dynamic strain d
(4) The increase of consolidation ratio strengthens (c) 3=50 kPa, Kc=2, f = 5 Hz.
the compaction ratio, and thus bearing capacity is
Fig. 3 The dynamic damping ratio-strain curves.
enhanced.
4.2 The dynamic damping ratio-strain curves
samples gradually become loose under the action of
Damping corresponds to all kinds of frictions or
shear stress, therefore rubbing effect grows and it
other actions that gradually reduce the degree of free
consumes more energy. Subsequently, damping ratio
oscillation and vibration in engineering. Damping
grows with dynamic strain. However, the rise of water
ratio, one of the parameters to represent the content accelerates the loose effect caused by shear
hysteretic effect under dynamic load, reflects the stress. Thanks to the increase in consolidation ratio
hysteresis loops in the relationship of dynamic and confining pressure, the energy loss rises when the
stress-strain curves. same strain is reached.
The result of Fig. 2(b) reveals that for saturated 4.3 The dynamic strength
samples, damping ratio increases thanks to the growth Dynamic strength of soil is the dynamic stress under
of number of cycles, when  d  56 kPa. Damping which the failure strain can be obtained under an
ratio rises with the deformation. In Fig. 3, it can be appointed number of cycles. The damage criterion for
found that, with the growth of vibration frequency and dynamic strength of clay is commonly expressed in
water content, the damping ratio gradually decreases. the form of deformation. K0 consolidated drained tests
When other factors are constant, damping ratio adopt double-amplitude strain of 5% as the terminal
increases with increasing consolidation ratio and condition, while in the anisotropically consolidated
confining pressure. tests, it is the total strain of 10% that is considered.
The corresponding mechanism can be described as According to the Code for Measurement Method of
follows: with the development of dynamic strain, soil Dynamic Properties of Subsoil (GB/T50269 — 97),
Min Wang et al. / J Rock Mech Geotech Eng. 2012, 4 (4): 352–359 357

China, the damage criterion for dynamic strength of 240

clay usually adopts the sum of elastic strain and plastic 230

Dynamic stress d (kPa)

220
strain, 5% in total. Given the soil condition and
210
practical engineering, a value between 2.5% and 10% 200
is also acceptable. In case where strain changes 190
sharply, yield damage standard should be applied. 180 3=150 kPa
170 3=200 kPa
Considering the importance of high-speed railways
160 3=250 kPa
and high strength of lime-treated soil, in this study a 150
value of 2.5% was adopted for specimens with high 0 500 1 000 1 500 2 000
water content and yield damage standard for those Vibration number

with low water content. (a) w=17%.

Fig. 4 gives the photos of some damaged specimens, 240
3=150 kPa
230
where the left has low water content and the right has 3=200 kPa

Dynamic stress d (kPa)

220
high one. The results show that the specimens with low 3=250 kPa
210
water content fail along 30 shear plane and they 200
present brittle failure, while saturated specimens show 190
the phenomenon of swelling and plastic failure. Fig. 5 180
shows the dynamic strength curves of 1% lime-treated 170
160
clay under different water contents, where the dynamic
150
primary stress is the sum of the corresponding axial 0 500 1 000 1 500 2 000
consolidation stress and vertical dynamic stress. The Vibration number
parameters, a and b, can be obtained by fitting dynamic
(b) w=19%.
strength curves under different confining pressures
140
(Table 7). In order to better understand the impact of 3=100 kPa
Dynamic stress d (kPa)

different factors on dynamic strength, dynamic strength 120 3=150 kPa

envelope curves with failure vibration number of 3=200 kPa
100
1 000 are given in Fig. 6. The parameters of dynamic
80
strengths obtained from dynamic strength envelopes are
listed in Table 8. 60

It can be found that the dynamic stress amplitude 40

decreases with elevated water content when the 0 500 1 000 1 500 2 000 2 500
Vibration number
confining pressure and failure damage vibration
(c) w=25.2%.
number are constant. The growth of water content
decreases with matric suction associated with the Fig. 5 Dynamic strength curves of 1% lime-treated clay.
effective stress declining, therefore the strength drops.
When the water content keeps unchanged, the dynamic Table 7 Fitting parameters of dynamic strengths of lime-treated
stress amplitude rises with confining pressure, while it soil with different water contents.
is opposite for the failure damage vibration number. Water content Confining
a (kPa) b (kPa) R2
The rise of confining pressure contributes to the (%) pressure (kPa)
growth of normal stress, and therefore the shear
150 242.06 10.065 0.994 6
strength is elevated.
17 200 265.42 10.229 0.971 9

250 281.16 9.528 7 0.999 7

150 230.1 9.429 2 0.982 7

19 200 226.44 6.237 9 0.986 7

250 266.7 8.954 4 0.994 1

100 132.52 10.802 0.998 9

25.2 150 169.63 14.757 0.998 1

200 182.63 13.907 0.976 2

Fig. 4 Photos of damaged specimens.
 358 Min Wang et al. / J Rock Mech Geotech Eng. 2012, 4 (4): 352–359

200

150 y = 0.178 7x + 45.7 5 Conclusions

 (kPa)

100

50 In this study, the dynamic properties of expansive

0 clay treated with lime are investigated, and the
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
following conclusions can be drawn:
 (kPa)
(a) w=17%. (1) Dynamic modulus increases with the growth of
vibration frequency, consolidation ratio, and confining
200
pressure; while it was opposite for the water content. It
150 is also found that dynamic modulus first declines
 (kPa)

y = 0.167 9x + 44.5
100 gradually and then reaches a leveling-off with the rise
50 of vibration number.
0 (2) With the growth of vibration frequency and
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
 (kPa) water content, damping ratio decreases gradually.
(b) w=19%. When other factors are constant, damping ratio
150 increasing with increase of consolidation ratio,
confining pressure, and vibration number.
100
(3) It is evident that consolidation ratio has a strong
 (kPa)

y = 0.124 2x + 12.3
50 impact on the dynamic properties of lime-treated
clayey soil, and it plays a decisive role. In addition,
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 specimens with low water content present brittle
 (kPa) failure, while saturated specimens show plastic failure.
(c) w =25.2%. (4) A reduction in the cohesion of unsaturated
Fig. 6 Dynamic strength envelope curves (failure vibration samples was observed at elevated failure vibration
number is 1 000). number, while it is opposite for the internal friction
angle. As far as saturated specimens are concerned,
Table 8 Dynamic strength parameters of soil. both the cohesion and internal friction angle decrease
Failure vibration
due to the growth of vibration number.
Water content (%) cd (kPa) d ()
number

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Min Wang, Ph.D. candidate in the University of Birmingham, UK, obtained his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering
from China University of Mining and Technology in Jiangsu Province, China, in 2009 and his M.S. in Disaster
Prevention and Mitigation Engineering (Civil Engineering) from Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China, in 2012.
His research interests include engineering characteristics of expansive soil and disaster prevention, DEM modeling,
soil dynamics and interaction of pile-soil in liquefiable soil under earthquake events.
Up to now, he has taken part in various research programs, including “Effect of moisture migration rate on
engineering characteristics of expansive soil and instability mechanics of cut slope” (National Natural Science
Foundation of China, No. 10872210); “Mechanical response and subgrade stability of lime-treated expansive soil
under traffic loading” (National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 40772185) and “Mechanical response and
disaster mechanism of fissured subgrade under high-speed traffic loading” (Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, No. kzcx2-yw-150).