Effect of snail shell ash on black cotton soil

Abstract

Black cotton soil stabilization with various agricultural additives has attained a lot of success due to increase in the demand for agricultural products. The engineering properties of black cotton soil due to the swelling and shrinkage problem, a research was carried out on the effect of snail shell ash in the black cotton soil properties such as the Optimum moisture content (OMC), Maximum dry density (MDD), Atterberg limit, Shrinkage limit, and California bearing ratio (CBR) were studied. It has been observed by the experiments conducted on the sample by using snail shell ash of varying percentages (0%, 4%, 8%, 12%, 16% and 20%) by weight of dry soil. Based on the results from the various tests carried out-(Specific gravity, Atterberg limit, Compaction test, Hydrometer Analysis, Shrinkage limit and California bearing ratio) it shows that the black cotton soil under the AASHTO soil classification and USCS soil classification, the black cotton soil is highly organic, so that leads to the use of hydrometer analysis-calibration method. The natural liquid limit value of the soil before the stabilization process is 54.8%, at 16% SSA it decreases to 40.4%. The OMC of its natural state is 18.82%, so at 12% SSA it decreases to 11.72%, while the MDD at the natural state is 1357Kg/m3, so at 16% SSA it increases to 1738 Kg/m3. The CBR value of the soil in natural state is 27.19, so at 16% SSA it increases to 40. The results demonstrated the positive effect of snail shell ash in black cotton soil at 16% snail shell ash improving the strength of the engineering properties.