Influence of Increasing Cement Content on some Geotechnical Properties of selected Lateritic Soils of Western Niger Delta on Sapele-Agbor Road, Nigeria

Abstract

This study is aimed at determining the influence of stabilization by percentage increase in volume of cement on Geotechnical properties of some lateritic soils obtained from two borrow pits along Agbor-Sapele road, Western Niger Delta, Nigeria. The soils are classified as A-7-6 and A-7-5 with high percentage of Fines, averaging 60.43%. These natural soil samples falls short of the Federal Ministry of Works Standard based on grain size and consistency limits. The values of 1950.91 Kg/m3 and 22.70% obtained for maximum dry density (MDD) and optimum moisture content (OMC) when soil was treated at 10% by volume of cement, reveals the fact that higher unconfined compressive strength (UCS) values would be noticeable at 10% by volume addition of cement with increasing energy level of compaction, than that to be obtained at 5% by volume of addition of cement with MDD of 1933.80 Kg/m3 and OMC 22.78%. When the soaked California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values for treated soils were considered, the reduction in soaked CBR value is minimal at 10%, with an average of 76.33% than that obtained at 5% by volume of cement with an average of 78.45%, compacted at varying energy level. In general, the study result clearly reveals that increasing cement content would result in improved strength characteristics even as permeability decreased from 6.744x10-8 mm/s to 6.129 x 10-8 mm/s across the compaction level of the stabilized soil samples.