Evaluation of Sustainable Methods for Embankment Stabilization

Abstract

Technologies that can contribute to sustainable environment and enhance economic feasibility have been gaining importance all over the world. The researchers have taken advantage of locally available materials and renewable sources in order to accomplish sustainable and economic construction activities. Many research works have been carried out in the field of ground improvement towards developing techniques that causes minimum impact on the environment. Some of the conventional materials that have been used in the past for embankment stabilization are lime, cement, fly ash, silica fumes, GGBS etc. Enzymatic treatment of ground is one of the emerging multi-disciplinary solutions that targets environment sustainability through stabilization using bio-enzymes. In this method bio-enzymes, which is obtained from vegetable extracts, are used for improving the mechanical characteristics of the natural weak soil. In the current work, a comparative study has been performed for the analysis of the different techniques/materials used for improvement of embankment/sub grade resting on expansive soil. The expansive/problematic soil is spread across a large part of central and western India and poses challenges to engineers due to its high compressibility properties. The improvement in the compressive strength characteristics of expansive soils when stabilized using materials like lime, rice husk ash, stone dust, fibre and bio-enzyme are being compared and studied in this work. On comparison it is observed when the stabilizing agent is pozzolanic in nature, curing period plays a crucial role as far as improvement factor is concerned.