The Effects of the Rice Husk Ash (RHA) and Cement on California Bearing Ratio in Laterite Soil Stabilization

Abstract

Lateritic soil is a problematic type of soil because it must be stabilized in order to meet geotechnical criteria for engineering purposes. As a result, cement has been frequently utilized to increase soil strength in order to make it more stable. As a result, several ways for minimizing the amount of cement used, such as the utilization of waste materials or industrial by-products, such as Rice Husk Ash (RHA), have been developed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the properties of laterite, rice husk ash, and cement, as well as the effect of different percentages of RHA and cement on the California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of laterite soil. In current soil stabilization, different amounts of RHA and cement are used, specifically 5%, 10%, and 15%, to determine an appropriate combination that will function. Soil samples were tested using the CBR and preliminary tests such as the Liquid limit and Plastic limit to identify index characteristics and the proctor test to determine Maximum Dry Density and Optimum Moisture Content. Data analysis was carried out to assess how well the RHA/cement mixture performed in CBR. The soil sample with 2.5% RHA and 2.5% cement produced the highest result in California Bearing Ratio, 34.45 % at 2.5mm penetration and 28.48 % at 5.0mm penetration. Hence, the objective of this study was met when using RHA as a partial replacement for cement in laterite soil stabilization enhanced the value of the California Bearing Ratio.