Indoor Experimental Research on the Unconfined Compressive Strength of Lime Improving Expansive Clay

Abstract

Guangxi province is the typical expansive soil area, and the unconfined compressive strength is the important strength index. There is little studied result about the unconfined compressive strength of expansive soil in Guangxi province. Based on the expansive clay experimental embankment of Nanyou Highway, the experimental research on the unconfined compressive strength was undertaken. Tests results indicate that the expansive clay samples are all disintegrated when the sample is dip in water, which show that the stability of expansive clay is very weak. Some lime improving samples of curling 7 days and 14 days are also disintegrated when dipping in water, which indicate that the unconfined compressive strength sample of lime improving expansive clay should curl 28 days. Lime ratio and curing time both influence the unconfined compressive strength of improving expansive clay greatly. There is optimum adding lime ratio for lime improving expansive clay. During the early days of curing the unconfined compressive strength have linear increase with curing time.