Stabilization of Clayey Soil Using Lime and Prosopis Fibers

Abstract

In this paper, an experimental study was carried out to evaluate the geotechnical properties of clayey soil stabilized using lime and prosopis fibers. In the present study, the fibers used were at 0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0% by weight of the soil and the amount of lime used was kept constant as 4%. From the test results, it was inferred that the optimum content of lime and prosopis fibers required to achieve superior geotechnical properties in clayey soil was found to be 4 and 1%. At this optimum combination, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) increases by 73.5%, California bearing ratio (CBR) resistance increases by 51.9% and linear shrinkage decreases by 69% when compared to the natural soil. Formation of cementitious compounds upon addition of lime and better interlocking of soil grains by prosopis fibers contributed to the significant improvement in the properties of clayey soil.