Durability of soft clay soil stabilized with recycled Bassanite and furnace cement mixtures

Abstract

This study examines the wetting–drying durability of soft clay soil stabilized with recycled Bassanite, produced from gypsum waste. Specifically, this study focuses on an investigation of the effects of the moisture conditions on the strength performance and durability of very soft clay soil stabilized with Bassanite and furnace cement mixtures during the wetting–drying cycles, referred to as weathering conditions in this study. Cylindrical stabilized soil specimens were produced and then cured for 28 days. The cured specimens were subjected to different numbers of wetting–drying cycles, and then tested for unconfined compressive strength. The results show that the compressive strength increased with an increase in the Bassanite content for the different wetting–drying cycles investigated. The increase in the Bassanite content is associated with the increase in the dry unit weight, as well as in the decrease in the moisture content of the stabilized specimens for the different wetting–drying cycles investigated. The compressive strength of the soil stabilized with the Bassanite and furnace cement mixtures gradually decreases with an increase in the number of wetting–drying cycles, and the earlier cycles are seen to have a more negative effect on durability than the later cycles. Generally, the influence of the wetting–drying cycles on changes in the strength, durability and volume of the soft clay soil stabilized with Bassanite and furnace cement mixtures is not significant. This is evidence that the use of recycled Bassanite, produced from gypsum waste to stabilize soft clay soil, achieves acceptable durability, raises the strength performance and improves the engineering properties of soft clay soil in a wet environment. In addition, the effective use of gypsum waste contributes to the development of a sustainable society by reducing the huge quantity of solid waste and establishing a sound environment.