Abstract
This paper presents an experimental investigation into the effects of porosity, dry density and cement content on the unconfined compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of cement-bound soil mixtures. A clayey sand was used with two different proportions of type IV Portland cement, 10% and 14% of the dry mass of the soil. Specimens were moulded with the same water content but using four different compaction efforts, corresponding to four different dry densities. Unconfined compression testing was conducted at seven days of curing time on unsoaked samples. The results showed that the compressive strength increased with the increase in cement content and with the decrease in porosity. From the experimental data, a unique relationship was found between the unconfined compressive strength and the ratio of porosity to volumetric cement content for all the mixtures and compaction efforts tested. The equation developed demonstrates that it is possible to estimate the amount of cement and the dry density to achieve a certain level of unconfined compressive strength. A normalized general equation was also found to fit other authors’ results for similar soils mixed with cement. From this, a cement-bound soil model was proposed for the development of a mixing design procedure for different soils.
Highlights
One of the most common soil improvement techniques for fine-grained soils is to compact the in situ soil with cement, as adequate strength can be achieved quickly
Clayey sands are fine-graded soils that are rich in silt and clay particles, whose physical state is highly affected by the water content and are expected to provide fair to poor subgrade bearing capacity
This paper describes a study investigating the effects of porosity, dry density and cement content on the mechanical properties of fine-graded soils treated with cement
Summary
One of the most common soil improvement techniques for fine-grained soils is to compact the in situ soil with cement, as adequate strength can be achieved quickly. Clayey sands are fine-graded soils that are rich in silt and clay particles, whose physical state is highly affected by the water content and are expected to provide fair to poor subgrade bearing capacity. The addition of a small amount of cement to the soil has proved to be effective in decreasing moisture sensitivity and expansion/shrinkage, which allows better control of workability during compaction and, results in significant cost savings compared to removal and replacement of fill material in some projects. The mechanisms by which the cement improves the fine-graded soil properties are the cation exchange between clay and cement (water sensitivity), the Infrastructures 2021, 6, 96.
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