SUGARCANE STRAW ASH EFFECTS ON LIME STABILIZED LATERITIC SOIL FOR STRUCTURAL WORKS

Abstract

The research examined the appropriateness of sugarcane straw ash (SSA) as a modifier in lime stabilized lateritic soil with a view of improving the Geotechnical considerations of the soil structures. Elementary and Geotechnical investigations were performed on the lime stabilized soil samples and also when varying percentages of SSA were introduced. The elementary tests incorporated the moisture content, specific gravity, molecule size examination, and Atterberg's limits, while the Geotechnical were: compaction, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and unconfined compression test. The lateritic samples were stabilized with 7% optimum of lime by weight, while SSA contents were gradually introduced at optimum lime up to 12.5% bulk of the soil. The addition of the SSA to the lime stabilized lateritic soil diminished the plastic indices from 25.09 to 21.98%, 24.76 to 21.09% and 19.43 to 15.37%; increased the unsoaked CBR values from 6 to 12%, 6 to 10% and 8 to 10 % and the unconfined compressive strengths from 88.10 to 126.13 kPa, 73.8 to 114.1 kPa and 52.17 to 127.85 kPa for tests A, B and C respectively. Concluding, the expansion of sugarcane straw debris improved the Geotechnical considerations of the lime stabilized lateritic soil tests for structural works.