Using a blend of cement and waste glass powder to improve the properties of clayey soil

Abstract

Adopting an appropriate soil stabilization technique is necessary since weak soil can lead to foundation instability and reduce a structure's life. Selecting the appropriate admixtures is very frequent among the various soil stabilization methods. This study scrutinized the feasibility of employing a blend of cement and waste glass powder (WGP) to improve the properties of clayey soil, which was classified as clay with intermediate plasticity according to the Indian Standard Soil Classification System (ISSCS). Using WGP in soil stabilization is a promising way to prevent its disposal in landfills, which may pose a severe environmental threat. In addition, using WGP can reduce the need for conventional binders like lime and cement. As a result, reducing carbon emissions will lead to sustainable development. For this purpose, crushed waste glass from waste glass production was used. A blend of 5% fixed proportion of cement and 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10% of WGP was mixed with the soil sample. Atterberg limits, Proctor's compaction, and California bearing ratio (CBR.) tests were executed on untreated and treated soil samples. According to the test results, incorporating a blend of cement and WGP in clayey soil reduced its liquid limit and plasticity index. The plasticity index of the soil sample was decreased by 50% when a blend of 5% cement and 5% WGP was added to the soil sample. In other words, as per the ISSCS, clay with intermediate plasticity (CI) was changed to clay with low plasticity (CL) after using a combination of 5% cement and 5% WGP. Maximum dry density increased, whereas optimum moisture content decreased as the soil sample was modified using a cement blend and WGP. After adding 5% cement and 10% WGP, the maximum dry density of the soil sample was increased by 6%, and the optimum moisture content was reduced by 3%. The improvement in CBR. was significant after the soil treatment with a blend of cement and WGP. The CBR. of the treated soil was increased by 260% when a combination of 5% cement and 5% WGP was used.