An Experimental Comparison of Compressive Strengths of Soils Stabilized with Enzyme and Ground Quicklime

Abstract

A series of tests were conducted to evaluate the difference of strengths of soils stabilized with enzyme and ground quicklime respectively. Perma-Zyme as an enzymatic soil stabilizer was used in this research. The analysis of the experimental data indicated that the type of soil and curing condition affected those treated with Perma-Zyme or ground quicklime significantly. Perma-Zyme can clearly improve the strengths of fine-grained soil and coarse-grained soil from 7 to 60 days of curing under air-dry condition, but had no significant effect on the strengths of silty loam under air-dry condition and those in sealed glass containers. Under the air-dry conditions, the unconfined compressive strengths of lime-stabilized soil were lower than those treated with Perma-Zyme at different ages. In sealed glass containers, the unconfined compressive strengths of lime-stabilized soil were higher than those treated with Perma-Zyme, because the water in specimens can not evaporate and can promote further hydration of the ground quicklime particles.