Evaluation of the Curing Time Effect on the Swelling, Unconfined Strength and Resilient Modulus of an Expansive Soil Improved with Hydrated Lime

Abstract

Soils with high plasticity and high swell potential undergo great volume changes in the presence of unstable water content changes. The resulting expansion leads to damage to pavements and/or lightweight structures with such a subsoil. Expansive soils can be improved by adding chemical stabilizers such as lime, fly ash and micro cement. To construct a highway on an expansive subgrade soil, the subgrade should be stabilized to satisfy the minimum requirements of the highway standards. In this research, expansive clay samples were collected from clay deposits in the Akyurt district of Ankara (Turkey), near Esenboğa Airport. The swelling, strength and resilient modulus properties of the soil samples were determined via laboratory tests. First, reference tests were carried out on natural soil samples. Then, the clay samples were mixed with lime agent at different percentages (1%, 3%, 5%, 7% and 9%) according to the dry weight of the soil. The index, swelling, strength and resilient modulus (Mr) properties of these samples were determined. The soil samples were tested at 7, 28, 56 and 90-day curing times for each percentage of lime agent considered. The changes in the abovementioned properties, especially with regard to the effect of curing time on improvement, were interpreted in this research. Designing for a 7% lime content and a 28-day curing time can be a sound solution for addressing the expansive clay studied in this research, since the criteria of the Turkish Highway Standards are satisfied under these conditions.