Stabilizing Very High Moisture Content Fine Grained Soils with Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cements

Abstract

Abstract This paper focuses on rapidly stabilizing very high moisture soils via calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cements. Producing a short-term construction material and/or handling contaminated sediments are the two primary anticipated applications. Literature review showed CSA cements have promise for an application of this nature, but that this subject has largely been unexplored. Behaviors of CSA cements were compared with ordinary portland cements (OPCs) where multiple soil types at a range of cement dosages and moisture contents were tested. There were distinct conditions where OPC outperformed CSA and vice versa. With the exception of very rare and isolated instances, there appears to be no advantage to using CSA cement below 10 % dosage. Moisture contents of 133 % or higher and high cement dosages (e.g., 15 to 20 %) in conjunction with a relatively low organic soil with a moderate liquid limit (e.g., 45 to 65) appears to be a good application for CSA cements.