Effect of moisture sensitivity on the light stabilisation of demolition materials in pavement bases

Abstract

ABSTRACT The water/cement (w/c) ratio plays a critical role in the strength development of stabilised materials. The mechanical and durability properties of pavement materials are affected by the w/c ratio. The high water absorption of construction and demolition (C&D) materials, along with the importance of moisture content in achieving the targeted compaction density for these materials requires investigation of their optimum water/cement ratio, particularly for their usage in granular pavement layers. In this research, two types of cement being General purpose Portland cement and General purpose Blended cement were used to stabilise C&D materials. Geotechnical testing undertaken included grading, plasticity, maximum dry density, California Bearing Ratio and Unconfined Compressive Strength. By monitoring and limiting the w/c ratio of the blends, the UCS of cured cement-stabilised samples were analysed. The impact of moisture content on the performance of cemented gel under tension and flexural loading was characterised using the four-point beam test.