Soil stabilization by using coarse grain crush sand and pavement design for same

Abstract

Soils possess high plasticity characteristics, less strength properties and highly swell-shrink property. The frequently swell-shrink seasons causes distress to the structures and the pavements constructed on them. Maintenance and repair costs of the distressed structures and pavements are very high. It is therefore necessary either to provide suitable soils from far off borrow areas or to improve locally available soils by stabilizing. In the current work laboratory studies are carried out on black cotton soil, stabilized it with coarse grain crush sand. Sieve analysis, Atterberg limits, modified compaction and California bearing ratio test were carried out on black cotton soil and 10%, 20% and 30% coarse grain crush sand blended soils. It is found that in sieve analysis sand content has increased by increasing the percentage of coarse grain crush sand when compared to native soils. It is also seen from compaction test by increasing the percentage of coarse grain crush sand the dry density has increased and moisture content has reduced marginally when compared with native soil. From California bearing ratio test it is seen that the strength increase with the percentage coarse grain crush sand. The design of pavement with stabilized soil is found to be economical.