Significance of Stone Waste in Strength Improvement of Soil

Abstract

The evolution of industries is essential for the economic growth of any country; however, this growth often comes with exploitation of natural resources and generation of wastes. The safe disposal and utilisation of industrial wastes has become essential for sustainable development. A possible approach would be to utilize these wastes in construction industries. The stone industry is one such flawed industries that generates waste in dust or slurry form; this leads harmful impacts on human beings, animals, and surrounding areas which, in turn, can lead to soil infertility. In the present study, stone waste was examined for its influence on maximum dry density (MDD), optimum water content (OMC) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of soil experimentally. Stone waste was used at 0%, 4%, 8%, 12%, 16% and 20% by weight of soil and UCS tests were conducted at maturing periods of 7, 14 and 21 days. Test results reported that the incorporation of stone waste improved the compressive strength value significantly. Maximum dry density was enhanced; however, optimum water content was reduced with the use of stone waste in soil due to its fine particles. Linear regression equations were also derived for various properties.