Variables controlling tensile strength of stabilized sand with cement and zeolite

Abstract

Soil treatment using cement is widely used in soil stabilization mainly in road construction, as a support layer for shallow foundations, to strengthen slopes, and to prevent sand liquefaction. The current research intends to quantify the influence of cement and zeolite contents, porosity index and porosity/cement ratio on zeolite-cemented sands measuring splitting tensile strength (qt). In this research, 213 splitting tensile tests considering void ratio, cement content and different percent of cement replacement by zeolite are done. Results indicate that cement replaced by zeolite is at optimum proportion of 30%. Besides, the value of improved qt of the cement sand specimens due to zeolite and cement chemical properties are exploited. Increasing cement content and porosity of the compacted mixture, the efficiency of using zeolite rises. In this paper, it has been shown that for the zeolite–cement–sand mixtures, qt increases via cement content (C) raise and porosity (η) reduction and a power function is well-adapted to fit both qt–C and qt–η. As a consequence, for each of the zeolite–cement–sand mixtures studied, a target qt value could be obtained using a specific correlation by porosity reductions, cement content rises and zeolite variations. This experimental research will introduce an acceptable description of the mechanical parameters which can be used in the subgrade and foundation designs.