Application of lime and GGBS to improve the strength of clayey sand

Abstract

Lot of industrial waste by-products such as fly ash, GGBS, silica fume, paper pulp etc. are generated all over the world leading to environmental degradation and pollution. Utilization of the industrial waste by-products in construction industry will at least reduce the quantity of these wastes that are being dumped in landfills leading to wastage of useful land area. But utilization of these industrial wastes as a construction material or as partial replacement in concrete or soil should not have a negative effect on their properties. Thus a thorough experimental investigation should be carried out before these industrial wastes are utilized in the construction industry. In the present experimental work, an attempt has been made to utilize GGBS along with quick lime to study their effect on the strength characteristics of locally available soil. GGBS was mixed with locally available Clayey Sand (SC soil) along with quick lime to investigate their effect on the UCC strength and soaked CBR strength of the soil. Quick lime was varied in percentages of 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% whereas GGBS was varied in percentages of 20%, 25%, 30%, 35% and 40% to determine the ideal percentage of lime and GGBS that should be added to SC soil for which maximum UCC strength and soaked CBR strength was attained. From the experimental results, it was found that for soil mixed with lime and GGBS increase in UCC strength and soaked CBR strength of 2.11 times and 7.44 times that of untreated soil was observed respectively.