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 sub-soils, sands, and other waste
materials in order to strengthen road surfaces and other geotechnical applications.
Soil Stabilization is the permanent physical and chemical alteration of soils to enhance their
physical properties. Improving an on-site (in situ) soil’s engineering properties is referred to
as either “soil modification” or “soil stabilization.” The term “modification” implies a minor
change in the properties of a soil, while stabilization means that the engineering properties of
the soil have been changed enough to allow field construction to take place.
Soil stabilization is a collective term for any physical, chemical, or biological method or
any combination of such methods employed to improve certain properties of natural soil to
make it serve adequately an intended engineering purpose.
Soil is one of nature’s most abundant construction materials. Almost all construction is built
with or upon soil. When unsuitable construction conditions are encountered, an engineer has
four options:
(1) Find a new construction site
(2) Redesign the structure so it can be constructed on the poor soil
(3) Remove the poor soil and replace it with good soil
(4) Improve the engineering properties of the site soils
In general, Options 1 and 2 tend to be impractical today, while in the past; Option 3 has been
the most commonly used method. However, due to improvement in technology coupled with
increased transportation costs, Option 4 is being used more often today and is expected to
dramatically increase in the future.

Methods of Soil Stabilization

Following 5 method are commonly used:-
1.Mechanical soil Stabilization.
2.Soil-Cement Stabilization.
3.Soil-lime Stabilization.
4.Soil-Bitumen Stabilization.
5.Chemical Stabilization.

⇰ In this method the stability of the soil is increased by blending the available soil with
imported soil or aggregates so as to obtain a desired particle size distribution and by
compaction of the mixture to achieve the desired density.
⇰ This method is generally adopted for the construction of sub-base and base course. It is
also useful for construction of a surface course of low-cost roads such as village roads when
the traffic and rainfall are low.
⇰ Soil-cement is an intimate mix of soil, cement and water which is well compacted to form
a strong base course. Addition of cement in small proportion to soil improves its strength and
modifies the properties of soil.
⇰ Soil-cement stabilization can be used as a sub-base or base-course of all types of
payments. But this method cannot be used as a surface course due to its poor resistance to
abrasion and impact.
⇰ This method is costly and needs a high degree of quality control as compared to soil-lime
stabilization.

⇰ Soil-lime is widely used either as a modifier for clayey soil or as a binder. When clayey
soil with high plasticity is treated with lime, the plasticity index is decreased and the soil
becomes brittle and easy to be pulverized having less attraction with water. Lime also
imparts some binding action. In fine-grained soil lime imparts pozzolanic action which
increases the strength. All these modifications are considered desirable for stabilization
work.
⇰ Soil lime is quite suitable as a sub-base course for the high type of pavements with low
traffic. But this method cannot be used as a surface course due to its poor resistance to
abrasion and impact. This method is quite suitable in warm regions, but not very suitable
under freezing temperature.

⇰ The basic principles in bituminous stabilization are waterproofing and binding. Generally,
both the binding and waterproofing actions are provided to the soil by adding bituminous
material. Most commonly used bituminous materials are cutback and emulsion.
⇰ Bituminous stabilized layer can be used as a sub-base or base course of ordinary roads and
even as a surface course for roads with low traffic in low rainfall region.

⇰ Granular soils lack stability when they are too dry. If their moisture content is stabilized
by the addition of some chemicals, then these soils can be used successfully. Chlorides of
calcium and sodium are the most popular salts used for this purpose. A number of other
chemicals/materials such as sodium silicate, lignin, resins, molasses etc., are used for
chemical stabilization of soils.
⇰ Addition of chemicals with the soil helps to retain moisture and to impart some cohesion
and thus retain the stability. These chemicals also reduce the dust nuisance in un-surfaced
roads.
 General
A land-based structure of any type is only as strong as its foundation. For that reason, soil is a critical
element influencing the success of a construction project. Soil is either part of the foundation or one of the
raw materials used in the construction process. Understanding the engineering properties of soil is crucial to
obtain strength and economic permanence. Soil stabilization is the process of maximizing the suitability of
soil for a given construction purpose.
The necessity of improving the engineering properties of soil has been recognized for as long as construction
has existed. Many ancient cultures including the Chinese, Romans, and Incas utilized various techniques to
improve soil stability, some of which were so effective that many of the buildings and roadways they
constructed still exist today. Some are still in use.
The general shortages of aggregates and petroleum resources forced engineers to consider alternatives to the
conventional technique of replacing poor soils at building sites with shipped-in aggregates that possessed
more favorable engineering characteristics. Soil stabilization then fell out of favor, mainly due to faulty
application techniques and misunderstanding. More recently, soil stabilization has once again become a
popular trend as global demand for raw materials, fuel and infrastructure has increased. This time however,
soil stabilization is benefiting from better research, materials and equipment.

Why soil stabilization?

 To increase strength, bearing capacity and resistance to deteriorative forces of nature and man-made
environment.
 To decrease the volume change tendency, settlement and to control permeability.
Traditionally stable sub-grades, sub-bases and/or bases have been constructed by using selected, well-graded
aggregates, making it fairly easy to predict the load-bearing capacity of the constructed layers. By using
select material, the engineer knows that the foundation will be able to support the design loading.
Gradation is an important soil characteristic to understand. A soil is considered either “well-graded” or
“uniformly-graded” (also referred to as “poorly-graded”). This is a reference to the sizes of the particles in
the materials. Uniformly-graded materials are made up of individual particles of roughly the same size.
Well-graded materials are made up of an optimal range of different sized particles.
It is desirable from an engineering standpoint to build upon a foundation of ideal and consistent density.
Thus, the goal of soil stabilization is to provide a solid, stable foundation. “Density” is the measure of
weight by volume of a material, and is one of the relied-upon measures of the suitability of a material for
construction purposes. The more density a material possesses, the fewer voids are present. Voids are the
enemy of road construction; voids provide a place for moisture to go, and make the material less stable by
allowing it to shift under changing pressure, temperature and moisture conditions. Uniformly-graded
materials, because of their uniform size, are much less dense than well-graded materials. The high
proportion of voids per volume of uniformly-graded material makes it unsuitable for construction purposes.
In well-graded materials, smaller particles pack in to the voids between the larger particles, enabling the
material to achieve high degrees of density. Therefore, well-graded materials offer higher stability, and are
in high demand for construction.

When soil stabilization?

With the increased global demand for energy and increasing local demand for aggregates, it has become
expensive from a material cost and energy use standpoint to remove inferior soils and replace them with
choice, well-graded aggregates. One way to reduce the amount of select material needed for base
construction is to improve the existing soil enough to provide strength and conform to engineering
standards. This is where soil stabilization has become a cost-effective alternative.
Advantages to soil stabilization:
Stabilized soil functions as a working platform for the project
Stabilization waterproofs the soil
Stabilization improves soil strength
Stabilization helps reduce soil volume change due to temperature or moisture
Stabilization improves soil workability
Stabilization reduces dust in work environment
Stabilization upgrades marginal materials
Stabilization improves durability
Stabilization dries wet soils
Stabilization conserves aggregate materials
Stabilization reduces cost
Stabilization conserves energy

Methods of soil stabilization:

1. Removal & Replacement:
Excavate unsuitable soil and replace compaction fill used when soil is too loose use same soil for fill which
has high unit weight which have engineering properties. Removal will be done first soil has excessive
organics. It is expensive method because we want to dispose and import the soil. Both are suitable only
above ground water table. Earthwork operation is different if soil is wet.
2.Precompression:
For improving soil we have to cover them with a temporary surcharge fill. Preloading, surcharging.
Suitable for soft clayey and silty soils because static weight of fill cause them consolidate thus improves
settlement of strength properties after the properties attains, surcharge id removed and construction
proceeds surcharge fills 3-8 m, settlement 0.3-1 m.
3.Insitu densification:
It is the method of densifing shallow soil, using heavy vibratory rollers up to 2m.
4.Vibrocompaction:
There are two methods of vibrocompaction, Terraprobe and vibroflot. Terraprobe consists of vibratory pile
hammer attached to steel pipe. Pile is vibrated. A vibroflot contains vibrator and water jet. Depth up to 3-
15m, silt content less than <12-15%.
5.Dynamic compaction:
Cost effective method of densifing loosen sandy and silty soil. Primary zone of influence typically extends
to depth of 5-10m with lesser improvements below these depths. It is used to treat liquefaction prone soil
and collapsible soil. It is evaluated by performing STP&CPT tests before and after construction.
6.Blast Densification:
Curious than the above one. It consist of drilling a series of boring & using them to place explosive
underground. It is effective in clean sands. Because of vibration of safety issues it is only suitable for
remote sites.
7.Insitu Replacement:
It is intended to provide load bearing members that extend through weak strata. The stone column acts as
vertical drain thus helps in accelerate consolidation settlement of mitigate seismic liquefaction problem.
8.Grouting:
It is the process of injection of special liquid or slurry material into ground. Two types: cementitious and
chemical grout. Cement grout made of Portland cement that hydrates after injection forming a solid mass.
Chemical grout includes wide range of chemicals that satisfy once they are injected into ground. Four
principal methods:
a) Intrusion grouting: filling joints in rock by injecting grout through pipe cementitious grout is suitable. It is
used to prepare foundation for dams.
b) Permeation grouting: injection of thin grouts into soil to permeate into voids. Chemical grout is used.
c) Compaction grouting: It uses a stiff grout that is injected into ground under high pressure through a pipe. It
is used to repair structures that have excessive settlement.
d) Jet grouting: It uses a special pipe equipped with horizontal jets that inject grout into soil at high pressure.
9. Insitu deep mixing:
It uses rotating mixer shafts, paddles or jet that penetrates into ground while injecting of mixing Portland
cement. It includes deep cement mixing, deep jet mixing. The treated soil has greater strength, reduced
compressibility than original soil.
10. Surface mixing:
Upper soil gets ripped, applying the admixture mixing with special equipment and compacting. Once
mixture has cured it forms very hard and durable soil. It forms a layer called sub base in highways and
airports. It is no more than 200 mm.
11 Reinforcement:
Tensile reinforcement members improve the soil stability of load carrying capacity. This used in
construction of compacted fill slopes of earth retaining structures.

Types of soil stabilization:-

There are mainly two types of stabilization. They are Chemical stabilization and Mechanical stabilization.
1) Chemical soil stabilization:-
One method of improving the engineering properties of soil is by adding chemicals or other materials to
improve the existing soil. This technique is generally cost effective: for example, the cost, transportation and
processing of a stabilizing agent such as soil cement or lime to treat an in place soil material is probably
more economical than importing aggregate for the same thickness of the base course. Additives can be
mechanical that is their load bearing properties bolster the engineering properties of the soil. They can also
be chemical that is they react with or change the chemical properties of the soil thereby changing the
properties of the soil. Combining the additives with the soil is done using various machines. The method to
be used depends on three factors:
1. What machines are available.
2. The location (urban or rural).
3. The additives that are used.

The machines used to combine the additives with the soil:

1) Rotary Mixer: The most economic and time efficient method is to use a rotary mixer, a large machine
that incorporates additives with the soil by tumbling them in a large mixing chamber that is equipped with a
rotor designed to break up and mix the materials. It is capable of introducing the additives and water very
uniformly into the soil and hence the rotary mixer is unrivaled in production by other methods.
2) Pugmill: For some of the applications which require a lot of precision, a pugmill is used. A pugmill is a
large mixing chamber that resembles a cement mixer. Measured pre-graded aggregates, additives and
usually water are usually mixed in the pugmill and applied in uniform thickness. Pugmills produce high
quality soil stabilization but at higher costs and lower production speeds.
3) Motor grader: Blade mixing is usually done using a motor grader. This type of mixing is not as
efficient as the other mentioned systems but is far less complex than the other systems. Essentially the
additives are placed in flat windows and the blade of the grader mixes the additives with the soil in a series
of turning and tumbling actions. It is very difficult to uniformly control mixing percentages and mixing
depths using this technique.

Additives used:
There are many kinds of additives available. Not all kinds of additives work for all soil types and a single
additive will perform differently with different soil types. Generally an additive may be used to act as a
binder, alter the effect of moisture, increase the soil density or neutralize the harmful effects of a substance
in the soil. Following are some of the most widely used additives:
 Portland cement
 Quick lime/hydrated lime
 Flyash
 Calcium chloride
 Bitumen
 Chemical or bio remediation

2) Mechanical soil stabilization:-

This refers to either compaction or the introduction of fibrous and other non- biodegradable reinforcements
to the soil. This practice does not require chemical change of the soil. There are several methods used to
achieve mechanical stabilization.
(i) Compaction:
Compaction typically employs a heavy weight to increase the soil density by applying pressure from above.
Machines such as large soil compactors with vibrating steel drums are often used for this purpose. Here over
compaction of the soil should be avoided and given great consideration because in the case of over
compaction, the aggregates get crushed and the soil loses its engineering properties.
(ii) Soil Reinforcement:
Soil problems are sometimes remedied by engineered or non engineered mechanical solutions. Geo-textiles
and engineered plastic mesh are designed to trap soils and help control erosion, moisture conditions and soil
permeability. Larger aggregates such as gravel, stones and boulders are often employed where additional
mass and rigidity can prevent soil migration or improve load-bearing properties.
(iii) Addition of graded aggregate materials:
A common method of improving the engineered characteristics of a soil is to add certain aggregates that
lend desirable attributes to the soil such as increased strength or decreased plasticity. This method provides
material economy, improves support capabilities of the subgrade and furnishes a working platform for the
remaining structure.
(iv) Mechanical Remediation:
Traditionally this has been the accepted practice to deal with soil contamination. This is a technique where
contaminated soil is physically removed and relocated to a designated hazardous waste facility far from
centers of human population. In recent times however, chemical and bioremediation have proven to be a
better solution both economically and environmentally.
Soil Stabilization(Summary)

Chemical or mechanical treatment designed to increase or maintain the stability of a mass of soil or otherwise to
improve its engineering properties. Soil stabilization is the process of improving the shear strength parameters of soil
and thus increasing the bearing capacity of soil. It is required when the soil available for construction is not suitable to
carry structural load. Soils exhibit generally undesirable engineering properties. 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 is used to reduce permeability and compressibility of the soil mass in earth structures
and to increase its shear strength. In road construction projects, soil or gravelly material is used as the road main body
in pavement layers. To have required strength against tensile stresses and strains spectrum, the soil used for
constructing pavement should have special specification. Through soil stabilization, unbound materials can be
stabilized with cementitious materials (cement, lime, fly ash, bitumen or combination of these). The stabilized soil
materials have a higher strength, lower permeability and lower compressibility than the native soil. The method can be
achieved in two ways, namely; 1) In situ stabilization and 2) Ex - situ stabilization.
Note that, stabilization not necessary a magic wand by which every soil properties can be improved for better. The
decision to technological usage depends on which soil properties have to be modified. The chief properties of soil
which are of interest to engineers are volume stability, strength, compressibility, permeability and durability.
Mechanical Stabilization is the process of improving the properties of the soil by changing its gradation. This process
includes soil compaction and densification by application of mechanical energy using various sorts of rollers,
rammers, vibration techniques and sometime blasting. The stability of the soil in this method relies on the inherent
properties of the soil material. Two or more types of natural soils are mixed to obtain a composite material which is
superior to any of its components. Mechanical stabilization is accomplished by mixing or blending soils of two or
more gradations to obtain a material meeting the required specification. Mechanical stabilization produces by
compaction an interlocking of soil-aggregate particles. The grading of the soil-aggregate mixture must be such that a
dense mass is produced when it is compacted. Mechanical stabilization can be accomplished by uniformly mixing the
material and then compacting the mixture. As an alternative, additional fines or aggregates maybe blended before
compaction to form a uniform, well graded, dense soil-aggregate mixture after compaction. The choice of methods
should be based on the gradation of the material. In some instances, geotextiles can be used to improve a soil’s
engineering characteristics. Mechanical soil stabilization may be used in preparing soils to function as: Subgrades,
Bases, and Surfaces. Several commonly encountered situations may be visualized to indicate the usefulness of this
method. One of these situations occurs when the surface soil is a loose sand that is incapable of providing support for
wheeled vehicles, particularly in dry weather. If suitable binder soil is available in the area, it may be brought in and
mixed in the proper proportions with the existing sand to provide an expedient all-weather surface for light traffic.
This would be a sand-clay road. This also may be done in some cases to provide a “working platform” during
construction operations. A somewhat similar situation may occur in areas where natural gravels suitable for the
production of a well-graded sand-aggregate material are not readily available. The objective of mechanical
stabilization is to blend available soils so that, when properly compacted, they give the desired stability.
In certain areas, for example, the natural soil at a selected location may have low load-bearing strength because of an
excess of clay, silt, or fine sand. Within a reasonable distance, suitable granular materials may occur that may be
blended with the existing soils to markedly improve the soil at a much lower cost in manpower and materials than is
involved in applying imported surfacing. Without minimizing the importance of mechanical stabilization, the
limitations of this method should also be realized. The principles of mechanical stabilization have frequently been
misused, particularly in areas where frost action is a factor in the design. For example, clay has been added to
“stabilize” soils, when in reality all that was needed was adequate compaction to provide a strong, easily drained base
that would not be susceptible to detrimental frost action