Describe the purpose of soil stabilization and discuss at least three methods of

achieving soil stabilization.

Soil is a crucial factor in designing and constructing structures as it serves as the
medium for effective load transfer in to the earth. Utilizing a weak soil base will
result to structure settlement in due course, leading to failure. The engineering
properties of the soil can be transformed and improved to provide permanent
strength gains before construction, ensuing development in the strength of the
soil, load-bearing capacity, and the overall performance of the in-situ soil. Soil
Stabilization is mainly done to enforce these developments and improvements to
the geotechnical properties of the soil. Whether mechanically or chemically
alteration to secure the soil in place and prevent from moving. There are various
methods to perform soil stabilization depending on its different characteristics
and needs. The following are some of the common materials used in achieving
Soil Stabilization:
1. Lime – may be used alone or combined with cement, bitumen, or fly ash. It
is very effective in treating heavy plastic clayey soils as it reduces the
plasticity index upon addition of lime. It also changes the nature of the
absorbed layer and provides pozzolanic action and increases the optimum
water content while decreases the maximum compacted density and the
strength and durability of soil increases.
2. Bitumen – Upon addition, cohesion is imparted and water absorption is
reduced. There are four types in which bitumen is used in stabilization
depending on the type of soil being amended.
3. Cement – it is one of the popular options for stabilizing soil and is versatile
as it is used in a variety of soil types. Most effective on low cohesion soils.
The concept of soil stabilization is that the soil is being altered in some form,
whether it is mechanically or chemically to lock the soil in place and prevent it
from moving. You can do this by mixing in some chemicals or compacting the
soil so much that it is more stable

When using soil stabilization for construction you are typically trying to
strengthen the soil or keep it from shifting so the structure above will remain
intact for as long as possible. When using soil stabilization for erosion control
you are trying to keep the top layer of the soil in place when water or wind
disturbs the surface. Without this proper treatment, this will usually result in
mudslides or hill sides that are extremely unstable.

This category consists of physical processes such as compacting or tamping with

machineries including rollers or rammers. The mechanical soil stabilisation is also
achieved by blending (adding or removing) different soil particles so as to obtain
effective distribution of soil particle. These techniques are usually used for sub-
base and base courses. Mechanical soil stabilization is the method of altering the
soil's physical properties to a state in which the soil particles are interlocked.
This method is usually performed by applying a large compaction force to the
soil repeatedly until its particle sizes have reached the desired size and shape. To
execute this process, you will need heavy equipment that can apply a large
compressive force. This usually includes a large compactor, or rarely a crane that
applies a dropping weight. The soils that are being stabilized when performing
mechanical soil stabilization are often rocky and sandy soils. Due to our
advancements in other types of soil stabilization, mechanical stabilization is
seldom the sole stabilization solution.

a process by which the physical properties of a soil are transformed to provide

permanent strength gains before construction. Stabilized soils outperform non-
stabilized soils when materials, design, and construction are properly considered.
When the stabilized soil layer is incorporated into the structural design of the
pavement, the subsequent layers can be thinner, resulting in sizable cost savings.
In addition to adding strength, stabilized soil forms a solid monolith that
decreases permeability, which in turn reduces the shrink/swell potential and the
harmful effects of freeze/thaw cycles.
Soil stabilization can improve in situ, or natural state, soils eliminating the need
for expensive remove-and-replace operations. Often job sites where roads,
building pads, parking lots, runways or other pavement structures need to be
built contain naturally wet, weak soils. Those soils can be chemically treated to
add strength through stabilization and improve engineering properties including
moisture content and plasticity, through modification. Ex situ, or off site, soil
stabilization processes are possible but are usually reserved for environmental
projects rather than typical construction operations.
It is a method of improving soil properties by blending and mixing other materials.
Stabilisation is the process of improving the engineering properties of the soil
before construction. Stabilisation is done to improve the strength of the soil and
shrink/arrest the swelling potential, thus improving the load bearing capacity and
the overall performance of the in-situ soils.
The role of soil is crucial for the design and construction of any structure, be it
roads, runways or railway tracks. This is because it acts as the medium for
effective load transfer in to the earth. This implies that a weak soil base will
eventually cause settlement of the structure, leading to failure.
https://www.substrata.us/soil-stabilization
Explain briefly how the pressure created by wheel loads is transmitted through
the ballast. What factors of the ballast influence the intensity of the pressure on
the formation?
From the rail, the pressure of wheel loads is being absorbed and distributed to
the ties in tie plate and tie pad resulting to a diminished pressure. The pressure
from the ties, now called tie loads, are then distributed to the ballast. The ballast
distributes tie loads to the subgrade and the subgrade transfers the subgrade load
to the natural ground.
Properties of ballast such as strength, size, and gradation contributes to how the
ballast influences the intensity of the pressure on the formation as it reduces the
actual bearing pressure of the wheel loads by distributing the load into a wide
area and reducing loads or pressures to a level compatible with the specified
subgrade. Through increasing the ballast depth, the area over which these forces
are distributed also increases, reducing the load transmitted to the subgrade. This
also results to a non-linearly decrease in the subgrade pressure.
By increasing the depth of the ballast, the area over which these forces are
distributed (the base of the”pyramid”) increases. This, in turn, reduces the unit
pressure at the bottom of the ballast layer. Thus, by properly matching the depth
of the ballast to the bearing strength of the subgrade, it is possible to optimize
the “design” of thetrack structure to allow the wheel load to be distributed to a
level of bearing pressure compatible with the actual strength of the subgrade.
By properly matching the depth of the ballast layer with the strength of the
subgrade, as obtained through soil classification and tests such as the califor
bearing ratio, it is possible to properly design the track structure (and specifically
the ballast and subballast layer) to allow for a transfer of load at a level below
that which will cause overloading and local failure of the sub-grade materials.
https://www.rta.org/assets/docs/ComprehensiveRail/sec5/distribution%20of
%20vertical%20wheel%20loads%20bal.pdf
The subgrade is the finished embankment surface of the roadbed below the subballast that supports the
loads transmitted through the rails, ties, ballast, and subballast. The designer should review the
geotechnical engineer’s analysis of the subgrade materials/soils along the entire route to determine
whether all locations have both uniform stability and the strength to carry the expected track loadings.
The geotechnical engineer should be intimately familiar with local soils, particularly if the subgrade soils
consist of clays with a high plasticity index. Also, soils are unlikely to be completely uniform over the
entire length of the route, and different subgrade preparation treatments may be appropriate at any
given location along the project right-of-way. AREMA recommends that, for most soils, pressure on
subgrade be lower than 20 psi [0.14 MPa] to maintain subgrade integrity. Uniformity is important
because differential settlement, rather than total settlement, leads to unsatisfactory track alignment.
The use of geotextiles or geogrids between the subgrade and subballast can be advantageous under
some conditions.

The ballast layer spreads the load over a wide area so as to reduce the actual
bearing pressure transmitted to the sub-grade. Spreading the load is a key
function of the track structure. It allows the distribution of the large wheel/rail
forces through the ballast and subballast, and reduces the corresponding loads
(pressures) to a level compatible with that of the subgrade.

In effecting this distribution, the rail absorbs and distributes wheel loads to the ties (through tie plate
and tie pad) with diminished unit pressure, the ties distribute the tie loads to the ballast, ballast
distributes tie loads to the subgrade, and the subgrade distributes the subgrade load to the natural
ground.
The subgrade pressure decreases directly with the ballast depth. Relationship
states that subgrade pressure decreases non-linearly with ballast depth. Inverse
relationship between pressure and ballast depth, indicates vertical ressure
decreases as the ballast depth increases. Increasing the depth of the ballast layer
can significantly reduce the load transmitted to the subgrade.

https://eng.dieselloc.ru/railway-engineering/guidelines-for-provision-of-sub-
ballast.html

When cement is exposed to water, it chemically hydrates resulting in a gel that

forms an interlocking matrix around soil particles. The mix hardens, or cures,
very rapidly,
This rapid curing results in high initial strength gains that taper off rapidly.

Exposure to water results to hydration that forms an interlocking matrix around

soil particles. The mix then hardens or settles rapidly and gains high initial
strength. It has been an effective reagent for stabilizing certain types of soils.
However, it is not an economical option for stabilizing fine-grained soils.

tumen increases the cohesive and load bearing capacity of the soil and renders it resistant to
the action of water.
used to introduce cohesion non plastic material or to make cohesive material less sensitive
to less of stability with increased moisture. The process is very successful with granular material
in bases.

https://mintekresources.com/soil-stabilization-methods-and-materials/