Abstract
The recycling of waste materials (that polluted the environment) to mitigate and improve the poor geotechnical properties of difficult soils represents one of the sustainable solutions to reduce the negative effects of the waste. The potential for using recycled crushed ceramic rubble (RCCR), from building rubble, as a stabilizer for expansive soil was studied. Five different percentages of two gradations of RCCR were prepared and added to highly expansive soil (HES). The effects of RCCR on geotechnical properties and swelling stages of the soil were investigated. Characterization for the microstructure of natural and stabilized soil was carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). It was found that, regardless of its gradation, RCCR reduces the values of Atterberg limits and optimum water content of the soil. RCCR caused an increase in specific gravity and maximum dry unit weight. The RCCR increased soil strength from 208 to 435 kPa. The curing of HES–RCCR mixtures for 7 days led to significant improvement in strength values. Based on the nonlinear regression, there was a perfect nonlinear relationship found between RCCR and soil strength. On the other hand, RCCR caused 24 to 71% reduction in maximum swelling percent. The magnitude of the total swell decreased by increasing the size of RCCR material or increasing the content of this material, regardless of its size. The mixing of RCCR with HES increased the time required to complete both the initial and primary soil swelling, while the secondary swelling time reduced. However, the maximum RCCR content, to achieve the maximum strength and minimum swell percent, was 30% for both gradations of RCCR. There are compounds with cementation nature formed due to mixing RCCR with HES: such compounds are responsible for the development of strength and mitigation of swell effect. The current results indicate that RCCR is technically practicable in soil stabilization.
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