Experimental study on stabilization of a low plasticity clayey soil with cement/lime

One of the possible problems that may be encountered by execution of future projects such as highway, mass construction, and also industrial buildings in Farmahin (in the northwestern of Arak, Iran) is low strength and large deformation of the field soil. Such soils can be treated with the general traditional soil stabilization methods such as lime or cement stabilization methods. In the current study, the effects of two types of additive for the soil (i.e., lime/cement) on the geotechnical and engineering properties of the soil are studied. The results of the study indicate that optimum moisture content, maximum dry unit weight, and plasticity index are affected by the addition of cement or lime. Also cement treatment results in increase of unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the soils significantly, whereas the test results indicate that there is an optimum of lime content so that the addition of a few percentage of lime results in increase of unconfined compressive strength. Generally, improvement in mechanical behaviors of the soil due to cement treatment was noticeably higher than lime treatment. Also the results of tests show that the change of UCS of the specimens with the initial water content and curing time is significant, so that decreasing of initial water content or increasing of curing time results in increase of USC of the specimens. Also, the current study sought to characterize the relationship between secant modulus (E50) and UCS, curing time, and cement or lime content.