Studying strength and stiffness characteristics of sand stabilized with cement and lime additives

Abstract EN

The present work investigates the strength characteristics of sand stabilized with two additives (cement and lime) each alone at different percentages ranging between 1-10%.

Sand mixed with different additive contents are statically compacted in perforated tubes, 38 mm in diameter and 200mm in length, the perforated holes are 2mm in diameter along the tube.

Compaction is carefully controlled by compressing the sand to the required density by two plungers at top and bottom, two ends of the samples are waxed and soaked for 7 and 28 days in water.

Unconfined compression test were performed, the strength and stiffness were determined for all the samples.

Results referred to an increase in strength and stiffness of stabilized sand with increasing additives content, cement treatment improved strength significantly rather than lime and soaking time plays an important role in increasing compressive strength of sand treated with cement and lime.

Also results showed that the type of failure behavior varied greatly from plastic to brittle.

An empirical equation was derived for the unconfined compression strength depending on type of additive and soaking time.