SOIL STABILIZATION EFFECTS ON STRNGTH OF SOIL

LIST OF FIGURES: -

FIGURE NO. TOPICS PAGE NO.

Fig.1 Settlement due to load at different duration 6

Fig.2 Graph b/w compression Stresses and strain 8

Fig.3 Variation of UCS with ash content 8

Fig.4 Example of differential settlement 9

Fig.5(a), (b) The distribution effects of load on soil 10

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 SOIL STABILIZATION EFFECTS ON STRNGTH OF SOIL

What is Soil stabilization?

Generally, Soil stabilization is a method of improving soil properties by blending and mixing
other materials. Improvements include increasing the dry unit weight, bearing capabilities,
volume changes, the performance of in situ subsoils, sands, and other waste materials in order
to strengthen road surfaces and other geotechnical applications.
Soil Stabilization is the alteration of soils to enhance their physical properties. Stabilization
can increase the shear strength of a soil and/or control the shrink-swell properties of a soil, thus
improving the load bearing capacity of a sub-grade to support pavements and foundations.
Soil Stabilization can be utilized on roadways, parking areas, site development projects,
airports and many other situations where sub-soils are not suitable for construction.
Stabilization can be used to treat a wide range of sub-grade materials, varying from expansive
clays to granular materials. This process is accomplished using a wide variety of additives,
including lime, fly-ash, and Portland cement. Other material byproducts used in Stabilization
include lime-kiln dust (LKD) and cement-kiln dust (CKD).

It is a general term for any physical, chemical, mechanical, biological or combined method of
changing a natural soil to meet an engineering purpose. Enhancements include increasing the
weight bearing capabilities, tensile strength, and overall performance of in-situ subsoils, sands,
and waste materials in order to strengthen road pavements.

Purpose of Soil Stabilization: -

➢ To Improve the strength of sub-bases, bases and sometimes surface courses, in case of low-
cost roads.

➢ To bring the economy in the cost of road.

➢ To make use the inferior quality of locally available soil / material.

➢ To improve the undesired properties of soil such as excessive swelling and shrinkage, high
plasticity, difficulty in compacting etc.

➢ To facilitate compaction and increase load-bearing capacity.

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 SOIL STABILIZATION EFFECTS ON STRNGTH OF SOIL

➢ To reduce compressibility and thereby settlement.

➢ To improve permeability characteristics.

Mechanism of stabilization: -
The addition of lime affects the shear strength, compressibility, and the permeability of soft
clays. These beneficial changes occur due to the diffusion of lime.
Soil-lime reaction
a) Cation-exchange
b) Flocculation
c) Aggregation (time and temperature dependent.)

Advantages of Soil Distribution: -

➢ It improves the strength of soil, Thus, increasing in soil Bearing Capacity.
➢ It is both essential for Both of the Cost and Energy to increase the bearing capacity of the
soil Rather than going for deep foundation or Raft foundation.

➢ It is Also Used to provide more stability to the soil in slopes and other Such Places.

➢ Sometime Soil Stabilization is also used to Prevent soil erosion or formation of dusts,
which is more essential specially in Dry and Arid Weather.

➢ Stabilization is also done for soil water proofing: This prevents water from entering to the
soil and hence helps the soil from losing its strength.

➢ It helps in reducing the soil volume change due to change in moisture content or in
temperature.

➢ Stabilization improves the workability and durability of the soil.

➢ Reduction in plasticity occur

➢ Limitation of the need for embankment materials to be brought in from outside and the
elimination of their transporting costs.

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 SOIL STABILIZATION EFFECTS ON STRNGTH OF SOIL

➢ Reduction of transport movements in the immediate vicinity of the construction site.

Machines can move about with far greater ease.

➢ Delays due to weather conditions are reduced, leading to improved productivity. As a

result, the overall construction duration and costs can be dramatically reduced.

➢ Structures have a longer service life (embankments, capping layers) and are cheaper to
maintain.

Components of Soil Stabilization: -

There are two main components of soil stabilization which are discussed below…

1. Soil

2. Stabilizing Agents

i) Cement

ii) Lime

iii) Fly ash

iv) Blast furnace slag

Stages involved in Soil Stabilization Process: -

➢ Evaluating the properties of given soil.

➢ Deciding the lacking property of soil and choose the effective and economical method of
soil stabilization.

➢ Designing the Stabilized soil mix for intended durability and stability values.

Techniques of Soil Stabilization: -

Some of the renewable technologies are: enzymes, surfactants, biopolymers, synthetic
polymers, co-polymer based products, cross-linking styrene acrylic polymers, tree resins,
ionic stabilizers, fiber reinforcement, calcium chloride, calcite, sodium chloride, magnesium

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 SOIL STABILIZATION EFFECTS ON STRNGTH OF SOIL

chloride and more. Some of the new stabilizing techniques create hydrophobic surfaces and
mass that prevent road failure from water penetration or heavy frosts by inhibiting the ingress
of water into the treated layer.

However, recent technology has increased the number of traditional additives used for soil
stabilization purposes.

➢ Such non-traditional stabilizers include: -

Polymer based products (e.g. cross-linking water-based styrene acrylic polymers that
significantly improves the load-bearing capacity and tensile strength of treated soils),
Copolymer Based Products, fiber reinforcement, calcium chloride, and Sodium Chloride.

Soil can also be stabilized mechanically with stabilization geosynthetics, for example, geogrids
or geocells, a 3D mechanical soil stabilization technique. Stabilization is achieved via
confinement of particle movement to improve the strength of the entire layer. Confinement in
geogrids is by means of interlock between the aggregate and grid (and tensioned membrane),
and in geocells, by cell wall confinement (hoop) stress on the aggregate.

➢ Traditionally : -
Traditionally and widely accepted types of soil stabilization techniques
use products such as bitumen emulsions which can be used as a binding agents for producing
a road base. However, bitumen is not environmentally friendly and becomes brittle when it
dries out. Portland cement has been used as an alternative to soil stabilization. However, this
can often be expensive and is not a very good "green" alternative. Cement fly ash, lime fly ash
(separately, or with cement or lime), bitumen, tar, cement kiln dust (CKD), tree resin and ionic
stabilizers are all commonly used stabilizing agents. Other stabilization techniques include
using on-site materials including sub-soils, sands, mining waste, natural stone industry
waste and crushed construction waste to provide stable, dust free local roads for complete dust
control and soil stabilization.
The two major terms are used widely which are given as:
1. Mechanical Soil Stabilization: -
In this technique the soil stability is increased by blending the available soil with imported soil
or aggregated so as to obtain a desired particle size distribution, and by compacting the mixture

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 SOIL STABILIZATION EFFECTS ON STRNGTH OF SOIL

of desired density. Compacting the soil at an appropriate moisture content is itself a form of
mechanical stabilization.
2. Chemical Stabilization: -
a) Under this Category, Soil Stabilization mainly depends on Chemical reactions b/w
stabilizers (cementitious material) and soil minerals.
b) Different techniques of soil stabilization
i) Soil-lime mixture.
ii) Soil cement mixture.
iii) Chloride stabilization with other chemicals.

Effect on Shear Strength of the soil by Stabilization: -

The shear strength of the soil stabilized in the field (in situ) was much higher than that of the
sample sprepared in the laboratory. The soil stabilized in situ is subjected to a pressure from
the over burden and from the surrounding soil while the confining pressure for the samples
that were stored in small containers in the laboratory is small.

Fig. 1

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 SOIL STABILIZATION EFFECTS ON STRNGTH OF SOIL

The increase in strength with time after stabilization is governed by a number of factors. The
type of binder will normally have a significant impact on the results, although the effect may
vary considerably depending on the type of soil. Other factors affecting the increase in strength
are the amount of binder, the mixing effort, the temperature and the stresses during curing
Another factor of importance, especially in stabilizing peat, is the effect of an initial loading
of the stabilized soil.
➢ Ultimate bearing capacity: -
The ultimate bearing capacity and the creep strength can be estimated from the shear strength
of samples prepared in the laboratory and stored in a moist room at the anticipated ground
temperature. The ultimate bearing capacity of the lime columns is also affected by the
confining pressure from the surrounding un stabilized soil during the curing of the columns.
This effect with increase with increasing confining pressure and thus with increasing depth.
The factor of safety with respect to bearing capacity failure will usually be sufficient for light
structures even without considering the strength increase from the lime columns when the unit
load from the structure is as high as 20kN/𝑚2 and the average undrained shear strength of the
untreated soil is a slow as 7kN/𝑚2 .
➢ Effects of different binders on the strength increase: -
The optimal binder to be used for stabilization of a soil will vary depending on the desired
strength in the short-term as well as the long-term perspective, for both drained and undrained
conditions. Robustness and good durability are also important factors in cases of varying soil
conditions or risks of the stabilized soil being subjected to aggressive ground water with high
mobility. The effects of different binders on the strength increase are in such cases more
appropriately described in terms of general strength levels and rate of strength increase,
without defining optimal binders and exact strengths for all possible cases.
The effect of different types of binders on the strength increase of soft soils varies considerably.
Figure 1. shows example of the increase in unconfined compressive strength, for the two clays
stabilized with various binders. During the first three months after mixing, the most rapid
strength increase as a rule occurs in samples stabilized with binders containing cement. In
general, after about three months, the strength of these samples levels off to a fairly constant
value or shows clearly decreased rates of strength gain.

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 SOIL STABILIZATION EFFECTS ON STRNGTH OF SOIL

Fig. 2 Fig. 3
Samples containing lime usually exhibit a pronounced long-term increase in strength, although
this may vary considerably with the type of soil, as illustrated in Figure.2 and Figure.3 shows
the measured variation in unconfined compressive strength, for different categories of binders
arranged in order of obtained 28-day strength. Cement alone or together with slag or fly ash,
with a cement percentage of 50% or higher, gave the highest short-term strength and the lowest
spread in measured strength between the soils. Lime alone or in combination with cement, with
a lime percentage of 50% or higher, or with slag, gave the lowest short-term strength and the
largest spread in measured strength between the soils. It was also observed that after one year,
roughly the same strength was achieved with a large number of the different types of binder
combinations. This finding has been reported in also previous investigations.
Lime alone or in combination with slag or cement gave 7-day strengths of 0.1-1.0 times that at
28 days, and 1-year strengths of 1.3-13 times that at 28 days; cement, cement slag and cement-
fly ash, gave corresponding ratios of 0.4-0.7 and 1.2-2.8, respectively. With pure cement, the
early strength ratio was the same, but the range of 1-year strengths was narrower, at 1.4-1.8
times that at 28 days. The increase in unconfined compressive strength for the cement-
stabilized soils, which were cured at 7 °C from 7 to 800 days.
𝑞1
= 0.3 𝑙𝑛𝑡
𝑞 28
where t is the time (days), and qt and q28 are the unconfined compressive strengths after t days
and 28 days, respectively.

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 SOIL STABILIZATION EFFECTS ON STRNGTH OF SOIL

The variation in strength increase with time is linked to differences in the chemical reactions
taking place. The reaction products formed by the various binders are of different types and
take different times to form. Assuming complete hydration and sufficient alumina and silica in
the soil, it is possible to calculate the approximate amount of reaction products that would
ideally form bonds in the soil when using different binders. Estimated variations in the amount
of reaction products that can be produced by common types of binders are presented.

Deformation (Differential Settlement): -

The test results obtained indicate that the differential settlement will be small as long as the
average shear stress along the perimeter of there in forced block is less than the average shear
strength of the surrounding soil.

Fig. 4
The perimeter shear stress(t) can be calculated from the following equation when the load
transferred through the bottom of the stabilized area is neglected.
t=W/2(B+L) H<cu/fb
W=weight of the structure
fb=factor of safety (1.5) When the load is unevenly distributed, the columns could be
concentrated at the parts of the structure with the highest unit load.

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 SOIL STABILIZATION EFFECTS ON STRNGTH OF SOIL

➢ Method of Estimation: -
The angle change (α) at the edge of the reinforced block will, at low stress levels, increases
approximately linearly with the shear stress (t).
α = t/GB
GB= equivalent shear modulus of the soil that depends on the stiffness and the dimensions of
the lime columns.
GB=B/(B-nD) *𝐺𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑦
n = number of column rows
D = column dia.
G𝐺𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑦 = shear modulus of the unstabilized clay

➢ Total Settlement: -
Most structures can tolerate large total settlement if the settlements are evenly distributed.
Connecting water and sewer lines begin to break when the total maximum settlement
exceeds150-200mm.

Fig. 5(a) Fig.5(b)

To calculate the total settlement below the center of the loaded area, the settlement is assumed
to be equal to the sum of the compression of the reinforced block (∆ℎ1 ) and the compression
of the under lying soil (∆ℎ2 ).
The compression (∆ℎ1 ) depends on the interaction between the column sand the enclosed
unstabilized soil. Measurements indicate that the compression of the columns is the same the
compression of the unstabilized soil between the columns.

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 SOIL STABILIZATION EFFECTS ON STRNGTH OF SOIL

✓ Case (1): -
When the applied load is very high such that the plastic limit (Qcr) of the column is reached.
The settlement can be estimated by dividing the applied load in two parts 𝑞1 and 𝑞2 , in which
𝑞1 is the part carried by the column sand 𝑞2 is the part carried by enclosed soil. 𝑞1 carried by
the column is dependent on the creep limit (0.7𝑐𝑢,𝑐𝑜𝑙 ) of the stabilized soil. The settlement
∆ℎ2 caused by load 𝑞1 can be calculated from consolidation tests on undisturbed samples.
✓ Case (2): -
The applied load and the deformation of the block are small so that plastic limit is not exceeded.
The relative stiffness of the columns with respect to the enclosed unstabilized soil will govern
the stress distribution.
The settlement ∆ℎ1 of the reinforced block will be governed by the compression modulus of
the column material.
∆ℎ1 = 𝑞 𝑐𝑜𝑙 H/𝑀𝑐𝑜𝑙
𝑞 𝑐𝑜𝑙 = the average axial stress in the column
H = column length
Results from the plate load tests (Broms and Boman 1979) indicate that the compression
modulus (𝑀 𝑐𝑜𝑙 ) for short term loading is about 300𝑞𝑐,𝑐𝑜𝑙 . Due to consolidation, the value
decreases with time to approx. half the initial value. 𝑞𝑢,𝑐𝑜𝑙 is the ultimate unit strength of the
columns. Compression modulus of the enclosed unstabilized soil: Over consolidated soil
approx. M soil=250𝑐𝑢
Normally consolidated soil: from consolidation tests
At equal deformation of the soil and the columns, the following relationship must be satisfied.
𝒒𝟏 BL/n 𝑨𝒄𝒐𝒍 𝑴𝒄𝒐𝒍 = 𝒒𝟐 BL / (BL-n𝑨𝒄𝒐𝒍 ) 𝑴𝒔𝒐𝒊𝒍
N = no. of columns; 𝐴𝑐𝑜𝑙 = x-sec. area of column
If area ratio is defined as: 𝝆= n 𝑨𝒄𝒐𝒍 /BL
The settlement
∆𝒉𝟏 =qH / 𝝆Mcol+(1-𝝆)𝑴𝒔𝒐𝒊𝒍 .
It is also recommended to calculate the settlement of the soil below the block.
Case1: 𝑞1 is transferred to the bottom.
Case2: q is transferred to the bottom.

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References: -
(1) http://www.industrialresourcescouncil.org/applicatio ns/soilstabilization
(2) Youtube.com
(3) Principles and practices of highway engineering by Dr. L. R. Kadyali
(4) https://academic.oup.com/ijlct/article/14/4/543/5586772
(5) Svensk Djupstabilisering Swedish Deep Stabilization Research Centre
Strength of stabilised soils – A laboratory study on clays and organic soils stabilised
with different types of binder.
(6) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293244897_Strength_enhancement_effe
ct_of_ettringite_in_soil_stabilization
(7) https://www.slideshare.net/pradipdangar/soil-stabilisation-69320618

(8) https://nptel.ac.in › storage2 › nptel_data3 › html › mhrd › ict › text › lec20

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