Engineering properties of sand stabilised with borogypsum

Abstract

This paper investigates the use of borogypsum in modification of the engineering properties of granular soils. In this study, a poorly graded sand sample was stabilised with borogypsum waste, varied in content between 10% and 40%. Standard Proctor compaction, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), California bearing ratio (CBR), direct shear, freeze–thaw cycles and hydraulic conductivity tests were conducted on stabilised and unstabilised sand samples. The test results indicated that the addition of borogypsum to sand caused an increase in the optimum water content and maximum dry density. The UCS, CBR and cohesion intercept values were found to increase with increasing borogypsum content. However, the shear strength angle and coefficient of hydraulic conductivity decreased with increasing borogypsum content. The mass loss values after freeze–thaw cycles were found generally to be at a desirable level for sand–borogypsum mixtures.