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SOIL ADMIXTURES

Anything that is added and mixed with soil to

modify some properties of soil:
 Mechanically and/or

 Chemically

The term means that the added material has to

be thoroughly mixed with the entire soil of layer
needed to be modified.

INERT ADMIXTURES
 Chemically inert (relatively) admixtures are used if only
mechanical or physical properties are to be modified.
 The inert stabilizers do not react with the original soil
particles. They merely get evenly distributed in the
original soil matrix.
 They modify properties such as:
 Density
 Grain size distribution
 Porosity and permeability
 Shear strength and bearing capacity

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INERT ADMIXTURES
A. Adding soil of different gradation to the original
soil. For example,
 Adding sand to gravels and cobbles – to fill up
the large voids, to increase density, to reduce
flow.
 Adding gravels to sand and silt – to introduce
large particles to increase shear strength.
 Adding clay to sand and gravels – to reduce
permeability.
 Etc.

INERT ADMIXTURES

B. Adding industrial, municipal, or other waste.

1. Adding non-self-cementing fly ash (without lime
or without cement) or bottom ash
a. To coarse grained soil – to decrease pore volumes.
b. To clays – to reduce swell-shrink
2. Adding brick-bats or brick dust– to increase φ.
3. Adding coal dust or slags from burnt coal.
4. Adding ashes – wood ash, rice husk ash, etc.

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INERT ADMIXTURES
5. Adding shredded tyre or tyre chips.
6. Adding plastic waste (hard) chips

Brick bats Brick dust Coal dust

Coal slag Rice Husk Ash Tyre chips

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CHEMICAL ADMIXTURES
 Chemical admixtures react with soil particles and
change the physical, engineering as well as chemical
properties of soil.
 Different types of chemical admixtures are:
 Lime
 Cement
 Industrial wastes like
 Coal Combustion Products (Fly Ash or Bottom Ash)
 Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS)
 Phosphogypsum
 Cement kiln dust,
 Lime kiln dust, etc.
+ Combinations of two or more of the above
+ Other patented / marketed chemicals
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LIME TREATMENT OF SOIL

 Lime treatment is done on clay soils or mix soils like clayey sand or clayey
silt.
 Both quick lime (CaO) and hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2) can be used.
 Generally 3-8% by weight of hydrated lime is mixed with the top layer of the
soil.
 Use of lime-soil mixture is not new. It is reported that the Greeks and
Romans used lime-soil mixtures.
 In modern times, lime was first used as a stabilizing agent of soil in 1924,
when some stretches of highways in the USA were strengthened by the
addition of hydrated lime.
 Now lime stabilization of clay soil is widely used throughout the world in
constructions such as
 subgrades and sub-bases for roads and airport pavements,
 embankments,
 as backfill for abutments and retaining walls,
 for improvement of soil beneath foundation slabs,
 in lime piles (deep treatment), etc.
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LIME TREATMENT OF SOIL

Lime helps to stabilise clay soil in the following ways:
 Modification of soil (Immediate)
► Heat of hydration (in case of quick lime): When quick lime comes in
contact with water, it hydrates to form hydrated lime. The reaction
produces heat, which vaporises some more water and reduces
moisture content of the soil.
► Cation exchange: Hydrated lime again dissociates in water to form
Ca2+ and OH- ions. Ca2+ ions replaces exchangeable cations like Na+
and K+ from between the clay plates. This produces stronger bonds
between the clay plates hindering expansion.
► Flocculation and agglomeration: Because of the Ca2+ ions, clay
particles form flocs and clusters increasing aggregate sizes.
 Stabilization (Long-term reactions)
► Pozzolanic reaction: The OH- ions increase the pH value of soil, which
starts pozzolanic reactions. It dissolves the silica (SiO2) and alumina
(Al2O3) particles and makes them react with Ca2+ ions to produce a
number of cementitious gels. Such gels sets (solidifies) as time
passes, binding the soil particles very strongly.
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LIME TREATMENT OF SOIL

Clay structure before lime Clay structure after lime

treatment (dispersed) treatment (flocculated)

Cation Exchange:
In some clays, the inter-plate spaces are occupied by
cations (+ve ions) and water molecules. Exchangeable
monovalent cations like Na+ or K+ lodged between clay
plates are replaced by bivalent Ca2+ cations. This
increases the attraction between the plates and reduces
swelling.

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LIME TREATMENT OF SOIL

Results of soil modification with lime:

Modification reactions are immediate but reversible. Small
amount (1-3%) of lime is required for modification. In most clays
 Liquid limit decreases
 Plastic limit increases
 Plasticity Index decreases
 Swelling reduces
 Shear strength increases
 Optimum moisture content increases
 Maximum dry density decreases
 Clay becomes less sticky and more workable like granular soils.
 Permeability increases.

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LIME TREATMENT OF SOIL

 Lime Stabilization (Pozzolanic Reaction): It continues for
months (and years). It is irreversible i.e. permanent.
 A pozzolan (or pozzolanic material) is a silicious or
aluminous material, which in itself possesses little or no
cementation value, but will, in finely divided form and in
the presence of moisture, chemically react with calcium
hydroxide at ordinary temperatures to form compounds
possessing cementitious properties.
 Most soils are compounds of silica or alumina or both,
and react with Ca(OH)2 solution.
 In sufficiently alkaline environment, SiO2 and Al2O3 get
dissolved from clay particles and react with Ca(OH)2
forming a series of complex compounds.

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