Journal of Engineering Research 11 (2023) 293–300

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Journal of Engineering Research

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Improving geotechnical properties of soil of hillock slope using crushed

recycled concrete aggregates ]]
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⁎,1
Shriful Islam , Junaidul Islam, Nur Md. Robiul Hoque, Khairul Hasan
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: With the massive expansion of urbanization worldwide, a huge volume of construction and demolition waste
Soil improvement (CDW) generation has become a common issue along with CDW from controlled demolition and earthquakes,
Recycled concrete aggregate which causes a tremendous headache for environmentalists. Moreover, sliding and failure of the slope of hil­
Hillock locks, hills, roads, and earthen dams raise concerns for geotechnical engineers. Among the several methods of
RCA column
improving the geotechnical behaviour of soil of the slopes, this research utilized CDW-based recycled concrete
Permeability
aggregates (RCA) to improve slopes of two hillocks named GK and BH. The crushed RCA was applied in various
percentages, 5–35 %, in the soil mass and as a circular column to observe the improvement of the soil's geo­
technical properties that largely influence slope stability. RCA column, a sustainable alternative to the sand,
stone, or other natural materials column, can work as a vertical drain with an improved permeability of slope
geo-material to improve infiltration. The soil samples with 30 % RCA mixed and RCA columns inserted into the
soil mass resulted in lower consolidation settlement, compressibility index, and higher shear strength para­
meters. Moreover, 30 % RCA column increased the permeability by 6 and 7-times for the hillocks GK and BH,
respectively, which reduces the chance of excess pore water pressure (PWP) development that can trigger the
failure of a slope. Improving soil properties with recycled concrete aggregates can be a sustainable way to solve
weak soil and failure issues of low-permeable low-height natural hillocks.

Introduction proper construction methods. Artificial activities like unconscious cut­

Hillocks or hills hold great sources of natural beauty in the hilly
terrain zone of a country. In Bangladesh, hilly terrain makes up 12 % of
the country's total land area. Most of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a few
spots in southern Habiganj, and the southern and eastern edges of
Moulavi Bazar, and Sylhet are surrounded by northern and eastern
Tertiary hills. The northern and eastern hill ranges are composed pri­
marily of long, linear ridges that normally run north-south along
Bangladesh's eastern border [1]. However, hillocks often get damaged
due to the shallow slide, also known as slope failure, which is one of the
several landslide types and is harmful in steeper mountainous areas as
well as for low-height hillocks, roadways, and earth dams [2]. There are
many hills and hillocks in the south-eastern and north-eastern part of
Bangladesh. The slopes of these hills and hillocks have lasted naturally
for many years. They may collapse for various reasons, such as changes
in landscape, earthquake, excess water pressure, heavy rainfall, loss of
shear strength, changes in stress, and weathering [3]. Due to rapid
urbanization, people settle in the hills and hillocks without following
ting of hills, cultivation, deforestation, etc. weaken the slope of hills,
which can lead to catastrophic failure [4,5]. The soil type and strength,
stratification, discontinuities, seepage of water through the slopes,
groundwater level, and slope geometry are the primary elements in­
fluencing the slope stability of the hills and hillocks situated in Ban­
gladesh, namely Chittagong and Sylhet regions [6–8]. Excessive cutting
of slopes of the hills and other natural events like earthquakes and
rainfall cause heartrending events in Sylhet and Chittagong.
Many researchers used different methods for stabilizing slopes by
improving soil properties of slopes [9], using vertical drains in the slope
[10,11], growing herbs and grass on the slope [12], controlling soil
erosion of slope by fine and coarse roots [13]. Badhon et al. [14] im­
proved the shear strength parameter of soil with vetiver roots, which
also reduced the erosion of soil. Koda & Osinski [15] presented several
soil reinforcing methods to be applied for slope stabilization of a
landfill, especially by constructing berms with ballast, garbage, and soil
residues. Mizal-Azzmi et al. [16] concerned with stope stability and
focussed mainly on new and prevailing remedial practises and

⁎
Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: sharif_sust_cee@yahoo.com, sharif-cee@sust.edu (S. Islam).
1
ORCID: 0000-0002-8148-4750

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jer.2023.100139
Received 21 March 2023; Received in revised form 24 June 2023; Accepted 26 June 20232307-1877/© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of
Kuwait University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
S. Islam, J. Islam, N.Md. R. Hoque et al.
Fig. 1. Used samples of different materials: a) GK, b) BH, and c) RCA.
geotechnical methodologies to slope protection in the residential area.
Mulia & Prasetyorini [17] worked on slope soil stabilization by main­
taining conservation function through reforestation that also helped
reduce surface runoff and enabled more water seepage into the
groundwater aquifer. Sun et al. [11] presented a better siphon drainage
system with an inclined borehole piercing the deeper portion of the
slope to address the drawbacks of the conventional approach. The
outcomes of Sun et al. [11] showed that the difference in elevation
between the groundwater table and the orifice manageable with an
inclined pipe to be small compared to the height of water column re­
garding local atmospheric pressure. Ramkrishnan et al. [18] modelled
soil slopes with different geometries in a container with fixed water
input to replicate groundwater flow using sand drain. The optimum
PWP levels were established for each slope both with and without
loads. The tests were then repeated for a predetermined amount of time
after installing vertical sand drains down the slope.
Moreover, construction and demolition waste generation at a very
high rate is becoming a great concern for environmental activists as it is
responsible for about 33 % of global total solid waste production and is
expected to be even more in the future [19]. In recent times, researchers
have been more interested in utilizing CDW as RCA in different geo­
technical applications such as soil improvement [20–23]. Prajapati &
Rangwala [24] presented the effectiveness of using CDW as a reinfor­
cing material for backfilling soil in retaining walls. For distinct CDW
and soil proportions, different geotechnical properties of the soil and
CDW, such as compaction and shear strength parameters, were ana­
lysed and compared, mainly focusing on the potential use of CDW as a
backfill material with soil in retaining wall. Kumar & Bhushan [25]
effectively used recycled concrete demolition waste as backfill for earth
retaining walls. Rahardjo et al. [26] used fine sand to create the fine-
grained sheet for capillary barrier system (CBS), while RCA was used to
create the coarse-grained layer. Gravels or granite chips are frequently
used in the construction of the coarse-grained layer. Nonetheless, cru­
shed RCAs were employed as the coarse-grained layer due to a lack of
resources and a concern for environmental sustainability, and the hy­
draulic property criteria were satisfactory for crushed RCAs to be re­
used as a material in the coarse-grained layer of a CBS [26]. Zhang et al.
[27] performed unconfined compressive strength and flexural strength
experiments on soil and soil-CDW samples at 7, 14, and 28 days to
assess the development of strength. According to the test results, adding
more Portland cement and sodium sulfate significantly improved the
mechanical behaviour; however, adding too much CDW waste and
polypropylene fibers deteriorated soil strength. Ouria et al. [28] applied
RCA as a coarse-grained material to increase the pull-out capability of
geosynthetics by at least 50 % of the pull-out capacity of sand, de­
pending on the geosynthetics, RCA layer depth and the degree of ap­
plied stress. The sandwich layer's thickness increased together with the
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Journal of Engineering Research 11 (2023) 293–300
interface shear strength up to a certain point before remaining constant.
As the normal load increased, the geosynthetic and RCA sandwich in­
terface's interaction coefficient decreased [28]. Yun et al. [29] observed
the hydraulic conductivity as well as cations exclusion rate from the soil
to be increased as the CDW content increased due to the calcium ions
present in the CDW. These findings imply that the use of previously
dumped CDW can minimize both the amount of trash and the pro­
duction of hydrogen sulphide [29].
Above mentioned research improved soil by different ways using
construction and demolition waste or recycled concrete aggregates,
while this research utilized sand-sized recycled concrete aggregates
(RCA) to improve the geotechnical properties of slope’s soil of two
hillocks of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST),
Sylhet, Bangladesh, to evaluate the results after adding the RCA. The
two hillocks are: the hillock beside Bangabandhu Hall (BH), named BH
hillock, and Gazi Kalo (GK) hillock. Other hillocks, or slopes with si­
milar soil properties as the hillocks GK and BH can also be treated with
RCA. Moreover, the RCA particles are applied in the slope’s soil as a
uniform mix in different percentages and RCA columns to evaluate the
improvements of soil properties that can improve the stability of the
slopes. Apart from most of the researchers, RCA particle size is crushed
and sieved to sand size as it closes to the grain size of the studied soil to
maintain similarity between applied RCA and the soil of the hillocks.
Materials and methods
Materials and sample preparation
The soil samples were collected from the hillocks of BH and GK from
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Campus, Sylhet. Firstly,
the field density and moisture content of the samples were tested. The
soil samples were then oven-dried at 60 ⁰C for at least 24 h and crushed
using a wooden hammer. Again, the recycled concrete aggregates
(RCA) were prepared as same as soil but pulverized using a stone
hammer after collecting from a demolished building site in Sylhet city.
Fig. 1 shows the soil samples and prepared RCA materials used in this
research.
Mixing of materials
After preparing the soil samples and RCA particles, the soil was
mixed with RCA in different percentages to compare the test results of
different geotechnical parameters. The samples were tested on prepared
soil samples and soil-RCA mixed samples, where the mixing ratios of
RCA to soil were taken as 5 %, 10 %, 15 %, 20 %, 25 %, 30 %, and 35 %
of soils dry weight. After adding the desired amount of RCA percentages
into the soil, the soil-RCA was mixed properly so that RCA particles
S. Islam, J. Islam, N.Md. R. Hoque et al.
uniformly spread throughout the soil sample.
Test for geotechnical characterization of soil
The field density test of the soil samples was done in the field while
sampling in different locations. According to ASTM D1556 [30], the test
procedure was conducted to determine the field density of soils using
sand cone method. The natural water content of each soil sample was
determined by following ASTM D2216 [31]. The water pycnometer of
250 ml capacity was used to determine the specific gravity of the soil
following ASTM D854 [32]. Series of sieve analysis tests were carried
out to find the grain size distribution of the soil following ASTM D6913
[33]. After analyzing the percentage of gravel, sand, silt, and clay
particles, the soil sample of all hillocks was classified according to
USDA [34]. A laboratory compaction test was performed according to
ASTM D698 [35].
Permeability test
The soil samples were taken for permeability test using the constant
head method following ASTM D2434 [36] for sandy and silty soil
samples and falling head test following ASTM D5856 [37] for clay type
soil samples. The soil sample of the constant head test contained about
8–9 % of disturbed soil particles passed through sieve No. 200. On the
other hand, the falling head test samples were carried out in a com­
pacted condition at MDD following ASTM D698 [35]. After completing
multiple tests of samples from each location, the average value of k was
calculated for different soil samples in different conditions.
Consolidation test
The soil and RCA mixed soil samples were tested obtain the con­
solidation behavior using incremental loading conditions according to
ASTM D2435M [38]. The initial height and diameter of the sample is
20 mm and 75 mm, respectively. The settlement of the samples was
monitored continuously during the testing period for d stress of 6.11
kPa, 12.22 kPa, 24.45 kPa, 48.9 kPa, 97.8 kPa, and 195.6 kPa with each
loading step maintained for 24-hr. Compressibility index, Cc was cal­
culated from the test data to observe the consolidation characteristics of
the soil. After observing the settlement and compressibility index of
RCA mixed samples, the optimum RCA content was applied to prepare a
triangular patterned circular RCA column in the soil in oedometer cell,
followed by Islam et al. [21] as shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2. Consolidation mold with circular RCA columns in triangular grid pattern a) schematic diagram, b) sample prepared in the laboratory.
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Journal of Engineering Research 11 (2023) 293–300
Direct shear test
Direct shear device was used to determine the cohesion (c) and the
angle of friction (φ) of the soil samples and soil-RCA mixed samples
following ASTM D3080 [39]. After the experiment was run several
times for various vertical stresses, a plot of the vertical (normal) stress
vs. shear stress was drawn for each test. A straight-line approximation
of Mohr-Coulomb failure envelope was drawn in normal stress vs. shear
stress plot, and subsequently the values of c and φ of the samples were
determined.
SEM analysis test
The soil samples from hillocks GK and BH, RCA aggregates, and 30
% RCA-soil mixed samples were dried at 40⁰ C for 48 h. The Philips
XL30 SFEG SEM electron microscope analysis system was used in the
laboratory of Atomic Energy Centre, Dhaka, Bangladesh to conduct
SEM analysis on parallel specimens. The scanning specimen was first
inflated to a vacuum state before the test, and then its surface was gold-
plated. The accelerating voltage of 30 kV was used to operate the mi­
croscope. SEM images enabled the visualization of the morphological
and spatial structure of the investigated materials. The scanned spe­
cimen was then positioned for microstructural inspection at x500,
x1000, and x1500 times magnification.
Results and discussions
Geotechnical index properties
Field density of the soil sample was calculated during sampling in
the field from different locations. The field density of the soil sample
from the hillock of Gazi Kalu (GK) is 1.68 g/cm3, while the sample of
Bangabandhu Hall (BH) has a field density of 1.56 g/cm3. Average
moisture contents of the soil samples from GK and BH hillocks are 19.3
% and 16.4 %, respectively. The specific gravity of the soil sample from
GK is 2.74, while that of BH is 2.68. Fig. 3 describes the particle size
distribution of the materials used in this research. The soil sample of GK
contains 8.57 % clay, 81.93 % silt, and 9.5 % sand, whereas the sample
of BH has 55.3 % clay, 19.8 % silt, and 24.9 % sand. According to USDA
[34], the GK hillock sample is silty soil with a portion of sand and clay,
while that of BH is clayey soil with silt and sand. The dry density of
different soil samples in different water content obtained in the com­
paction test is shown in Fig. 4. The maximum dry density (MDD) of the
GK hillock is 1.72 g/cm3 with an optimum moisture content (OMC) of
19.3 %, while the hillock of BH has an MDD of 1.69 g/cm3 with an OMC
S. Islam, J. Islam, N.Md. R. Hoque et al.
Fig. 3. Grain size distribution of soil samples and RCA.
Fig. 4. Compaction characteristics of soil samples and with RCA.
of 19.8 %. As described in Fig. 4, the OMC of the soil sample decreased
with the addition of RCA, while the MDD increased with the increase in
RCA content in the soil-RCA mixture. For 30 % RCA in the soil mix,
MDD is found as 1.84 g/cm3 and 1.82 g/cm3, and OMC is 14.1 % and
14.3 % for the samples of hillocks GK, and BH, respectively. The RCA
particles interact with the soil and fill the voids inside, which results in
greater dry density, while the lower water absorption rate of granular
RCA particles causes lessening the OMC of the RCA mixed soil sample of
both hillocks.
Coefficient of permeability
The coefficient of permeability, k, was found for different soil
samples in the permeability test (shown in Table 1). The k value of the
sample of hillock GK is 1.50 × 10−7 m/s, is in the typical range of silty
clay, while the soil sample of hillock BH has k value of 9.90 × 10−8 m/s,
which was previously classified as clay. As shown in Fig. 5, the soil
sample of BH is slightly impervious, while the GK sample stays in be­
tween BH and soil-RCA mixtures. When the RCA in different
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Journal of Engineering Research 11 (2023) 293–300
percentages was applied in soil samples, the coefficient of permeability,
k was significantly increased. For the soil sample of GK with 5 % RCA,
the k value was found as 1.56E-07 m/s. Further addition of RCA content
in soil samples increases the permeability of the soil and becomes
1.90E-07 m/s, 2.20E-07 m/s, 2.65E-07 m/s, 3.12E-07 m/s, 3.70E-07 m/
s, and 3.76E-07 m/s for 10 % RCA, 15 % RCA, 20 % RCA, 25 % RCA, 30
% RCA, and 35 % RCA, respectively, in the soil-RCA mixture. Again, the
hillock BH also shows an increase in k-value with the increase in RCA
contents in the soil and becomes 1.02E-07 m/s, 1.45E-07 m/s, 1.85E-
07 m/s, 2.27E-07 m/s, 2.85E-07 m/s, 3.20E-07 m/s, and 3.28E-07 m/s
for the samples containing 5 % RCA, 10 % RCA, 15 % RCA, 20 % RCA,
25 % RCA, 30 % RCA, and 35 % RCA, respectively. The lower rate of
seepage of water during heavy rainfall can be dangerous for the slope
containing clay soil due to the generation of excess PWP in the soil [40].
So, increasing the coefficient of permeability is a crucial need for the
stability of a slope. Additionally, the triangular patterned circular RCA
column (with 30 % RCA) inserted soil sample showed a higher coeffi­
cient of permeability as 9.57E-07 m/s and 7.70E-07 m/s for the samples
of GK and BH, respectively. Again, the clayey soil has a lower water
S. Islam, J. Islam, N.Md. R. Hoque et al. Journal of Engineering Research 11 (2023) 293–300

Table 1
Geotechnical properties of soil samples with different percentages of RCA.

Soil sample Settlement (mm) Compression index, Cc Coefficient of permeability, k Cohesion, c Angle of friction, φ
(m/sec) (kPa) (°)

GK BH GK BH GK BH GK BH GK BH

Original soil 4.07 4.13 0.372 0.384 1.50E-07 9.90E-08 47.1 57.3 20 17.6
Soil-5 % RCA 3.98 4.05 0.347 0.367 1.56E-07 1.02E-07 39.4 52.4 21.9 19.7
Soil-10 % RCA 3.85 3.96 0.338 0.354 1.90E-07 1.45E-07 34.3 46.5 23.7 21.5
Soil-15 % RCA 3.74 3.81 0.321 0.341 2.20E-07 1.85E-07 30.4 40.6 25.2 22.9
Soil-20 % RCA 3.67 3.72 0.318 0.332 2.65E-07 2.27E-07 26.6 35.5 26.8 23.9
Soil-25 % RCA 3.52 3.63 0.295 0.315 3.12E-07 2.85E-07 23.6 31.1 28.1 25.3
Soil-30 % RCA 3.43 3.47 0.287 0.297 3.70E-07 3.20E-07 21.1 27.4 29.6 26.4
Soil-35 % RCA 3.54 3.61 0.292 0.307 3.76E-07 3.28E-07 21.3 27.7 29.5 26.1
Soil-RCA column 2.87 2.93 0.195 0.213 9.57E-07 7.70E-07

1.01E-06 9.57E-07 1.2

a)
Coefficeient of permeability, k (m/s)

7.70E-07 1.1
8.10E-07

1
6.10E-07

0.9

Void ratio, e
4.10E-07 3.70E-07
3.20E-07
0.8

2.10E-07
1.50E-07
9.90E-08 0.7

1.00E-08
GK hillock BH hillock 0.6
GK GK-5% RCA GK-10% RCA
GK BH 30% RCA RCA column GK-15% RCA GK-20% RCA GK-25% RCA
GK-30% RCA GK-35% RCA GK-RCA column
Fig. 5. Permeability results of different samples. 0.5
1 10 100 1000
Stress, σ (kPa)
infiltration rate and greater PWP, which decreases the stability of
1.2
slopes. In comparison, soil with a higher permeability value infiltrates
most of the water and doesn’t allow the generation of excess PWP which b)
ensures a greater stability of slope during rainfall or in saturated con­ 1.1

ditions [41]. The coefficient of permeability of soil that contains CDW

or RCA usually climbs greater than that of natural soil [42,43]. Rahman 1
et al. [44] and Abdulnafaa et al. [45] found similar behaviors of soil in
increasing k-value with the increase in CDW content in the soil. Ab­ 0.9
dulnafaa et al. [45] explained the rises in k-value and the reason is the
Void ratio, e

presence of more non-cohesive materials in the soil-CDW mixtures, and

0.8
hence water moves through it more quickly. As the RCA column pro­
vides a vertical drainage for water to drain from the soil, it increases the
value of k when it is inserted into a mass of soil; hence, water can pass 0.7

through a shorter radial distance to the column when a grid-patterned

CDW column is provided in the soil [21]. Since the RCA mixed soil 0.6
samples and RCA column inserted soil sample shows improvement in
BH BH-5% RCA BH-10% RCA
BH-15% RCA BH-20% RCA BH-25% RCA

permeability, it will help slopes of the hillock to infiltrate quickly and

BH-30% RCA BH-35% RCA BH-RCA column
0.5
reduce excess PWP that leads to sliding of slopes [40,41]. 1 10 100 1000
Stress, σ (kPa)

Fig. 6. Variations of void ratio of the samples with applied stress in different
Consolidation behavior
loading stages of consolidation test: (a) GK samples, and (b) BH samples.

Consolidation settlement and compressibility characteristics of soil

samples collected from two hillocks are presented in Table 1. Fig. 6 shows
the changes in void ratio (e) of the samples against applied stress in various
loading stages in consolidation tests. The consolidation settlement for the
soil sample of GK and BH after the completion of primary consolidation in
all loading stages was obtained as 4.07 mm and 4.13 mm, respectively. Due
to the addition of RCA in soil samples in different percentages, the samples
become more resistant against loading; hence, consolidation settlement
becomes lower [46]. The GK samples shows a settlement of 3.98 mm,
3.85 mm, 3.74 mm, 3.67 mm, 3.52 mm, and 3.43 mm in presence of 5 %
RCA, 10 % RCA, 15 % RCA, 20 % RCA, 25 % RCA, and 30 % RCA,
respectively, in the soil-RCA mixture. Further addition of RCA in the soil
increases the settlement slightly. BH samples show a consolidation settle­
ment of 4.05 mm, 3.96 mm, 3.81 mm, 3.72 mm, 3.63 mm, and 3.47 mm in
presence of 5 % RCA, 10 % RCA, 15 % RCA, 20 % RCA, 25 % RCA, and 30
% RCA, respectively, in the soil. As same as the GK sample, BH sample
showed a little higher settlement in presence of 35 % RCA with 3.61 mm
settlement, while the 30 % RCA in the soil showed the lowest settlement for
both hillocks. Meanwhile, the RCA column inserted soil sample gave the
least settlement value for both hillocks as 2.87 mm and 2.93 mm for GK and
BH, respectively. The compression index, Cc, for the GK and BH soil sample

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Fig. 7. Variations of shear strength parameters of samples with the changes in RCA percentages in the soil-RCA mixtures.

was obtained as 0.372 and 0.384, respectively. With the addition of RCA up
to 30 %, both samples showed a decreasing trend in Cc value with the
increase in RCA in the soil-RCA mixture. The sample of GK hillock gives a Cc
value of 0.347, 0.338, 0.321, 0.318, 0.295, 0.287, and 0.292, and that of BH
gives a Cc value of 0.367, 0.354, 0.341, 0.332, 0.315, 0.297, and 0.307 in
presence of 5 % RCA, 10 % RCA, 15 % RCA, 20 % RCA, 25 % RCA, 30 %
RCA, and 35 % RCA, respectively, in the soil sample. Column of recycled
concrete gives adequate resistance against load and lessens soil collapsibility
[47], as RCA boosts up bearing capacity, strength, and stiffness of soil in a
remarkable way [48].
Shear strength parameters
The shear strength parameters found in the direct shear test are pre­
sented in Table 1. The cohesion (c) and angle of friction (φ) value obtained
for the soil sample of the hillock GK were found as 47.1 kPa and 20⁰, re­
spectively, while that of BH sample were 57.3 kPa, and 17.6⁰, respectively.
After adding RCA to the soil samples, the c-value of both samples reduces,
and the φ-value increases as the RCA materials are mostly cohesionless.
Fig. 7 shows the cohesion and angle of friction of soil samples in presence of
different RCA content. With the increase in RCA in the soil samples up to 30

Fig. 8. SEM image of different samples: a) RCA, b) Soil GK, c) Soil BH, d) Soil GK + 30 % RCA, and e) Soil BH + 30 % RCA.

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Table 2
Quantitative elements data of the soil samples in SEM-EDS tests.

Soil BH Soil GK RCA RCA + Soil BH RCA+ Soil GK

wt% Symbol wt% Symbol wt% Symbol wt% Symbol wt% Symbol

13.94 B 8.34 C 9.57 C 6.21 C

37.36 O 58.19 O 16.65 C 50.02 O 55.91 O
10.79 Al 10.06 Al 62.94 O 10.39 Al 5.39 Al
24.27 Si 17.3 Si 17.33 Si 20.72 Si 27.62 Si
3.81 K 1.68 K 2.94 Ca 1.92 K 0.65 K
1.06 Ti 0.43 Ti 0.13 Fe 0.48 Ca 0.07 Ca
8.78 Fe 4 Fe 3.27 Ti 1.94 Ti
3.63 Fe 2.21 Fe
100 100 100 100

%, cohesion value for both soil samples decrease and further increase in
RCA does not produce much changes in the cohesion value of the samples.
The angle of friction of the samples of hillocks GK and BH increased with
the addition of RCA up to 30 % and further increase in RCA in the samples
doesn’t provide significant changes in φ value. For GK, the angle of friction
was found as 21.9⁰, 23.7⁰, 25.2⁰, 26.8⁰, 28.1⁰, 29.6⁰, and 30.4⁰, while the BH
gave φ value as 19.7⁰, 21.5⁰, 22.9⁰, 23.9⁰, 25.3⁰, 26.4⁰, 27.2⁰ in presence of
5 % RCA, 10 % RCA, 15 % RCA, 20 % RCA, 25 % RCA, 30 % RCA, and 35
% RCA, respectively, in the soil. The angle of friction contributes to the
stability of the slope in a large way; the more the angle of friction a soil
sample has, the slope becomes more stable. On the other hand, the cohesion
of clay soil lessens the stability of a slope [49]. Based on the shear strength
parameters of the soil samples of both hillocks, decreased cohesion and
increased angle of internal friction make the slope more stable against
loading [49].
SEM discussions in justifications to the soil improvement
Observing the interactions between soil and additive as a result of soil
improvement through SEM analysis is crucial in addition to physical and
mechanical investigations [50]. Fig. 8(a)–(e) depict the scanning electron
microscope (SEM) photos of the soil sample of both hillocks, recycled
concrete aggregates (RCA), and soil sample with 30 % RCA. As can be
observed, RCA has a somewhat uniform and sparkly surface, but an uneven
surface compared to the original soil sample of GK and BH, which has an
irregular surface with non-spherical grains and pores. Moreover, the soil
sample of both hillocks with 30 % RCA has a comparable appearance to the
original soil sample, having fewer surface voids and appearing firmer. The
interaction between the soil samples and RCA is visibly noticed in the
sample of stabilized RCA-soil mixture. RCA particles positioned in between
the soil particles and make the soil denser, that results in a higher dry
density of the samples with the rise in RCA than the original soil samples. In
addition to that, the quantitative elemental data from SEM-EDS tests pre­
sented in Table 2 suggests that soil GK, and soil BH went through changes in
weight percentages of elements after the interaction when being mixed with
RCA particles. As the RCA particles appears in between the soil particles and
being distributed around the soil mass, the soil become more permeable
since sand sized RCA particles seemed to be more porous than that of soil
particles, after improvement with RCA, the soil sample contained more non-
cohesive porous materials than original soil samples; so, there was an in­
crease in permeability [51], which can be observed in the results of per­
meability test described in Section 3.2. A mechanical experiment indicates
that the clay and additive reaction, causing the pores between the particles
to close, as seen by the rise in soil's strength parameter tests can also be
related to the images after improvement in Fig. 8(d), and (e) in compared to
the images before improvement in Fig. 8(b), and (c) [52]. Meanwhile, the
increased contact area in soil samples after the addition of RCA improved
compaction and interconnection, which subsequently enhanced the soil's
strength after improvement [53].
Conclusion
The study analyzed the geotechnical properties of the soil samples of
two hillocks in both natural conditions and after adding recycled con­
crete aggregates in different percentages as well as inserting RCA
column in the soil. According to the test results, RCA improved the
geotechnical properties of soil samples that can largely improve the
stability of the hillocks. Based on the results of the experimental ana­
lyses, the following broad conclusions can be made:
• The maximum dry density of soil from both hillocks increases with
the addition of RCA, while the optimum moisture content decreases.
• The coefficient of permeability, k increased significantly for both hil­
locks after adding RCA up to 30 %. Moreover, RCA columns in the soil
mass increased the permeability of the samples by 6 and 7 times com­
pared to the soil samples of hillocks GK and BH, respectively, without
RCA.
• The consolidation settlement and compression index of the soil
samples were remarkably reduced by adding RCA in the soil and by
inserting RCA column in the soil of both hillocks. RCA lessened the
compressibility of the soil against loading, and more importantly the
soil is more resistant with RCA columns.
• RCA particles make the soil less cohesive and more permeable,
which will help improve stability of hillocks during rainfall and in
saturated condition. For both hillocks, cohesion becomes the least
with 30 % RCA, while the angle of friction becomes the highest.
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.
Funding
This research was funded by SUST Research Center (Project ID: AS/
2020/1/17), Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST),
Sylhet.
Data Availability
Data included in article/supplementary material/referenced in ar­
ticle.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relation­
ships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Shriful
Islam reports financial support was provided by Shahjalal University of
Science and Technology (SUST), Sylhet. Shriful Islam reports a relationship
with Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Sylhet that
includes: employment and funding grants.

299
S. Islam, J. Islam, N.Md. R. Hoque et al.
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