Chemical Amelioration of Expansive Soils

Authors: B. R. Phanikumar, Sana Suri

Abstract:

Expansive soils swell when they absorb water and shrink when water evaporates from them. Hence, lightly loaded civil engineering structures founded in these soils are subjected to severe distress. Therefore, there is a need to ameliorate or improve these swelling soils through some innovative methods. This paper discusses chemical stabilisation of expansive soils, a technique in which chemical reagents such as lime and calcium chloride are added to expansive soils to reduce the volumetric changes occurring in expansive soils and to improve their engineering behaviour.

Keywords: Expansive soils, swelling, shrinkage, amelioration, lime, calcium chloride.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1336352

References:

[1] Chen, F.H. (1988). "Foundations on Expansive Soils’, 2nd Ed., Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co., Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
[2] Nelson and Miller, J.D. (1992). "Expansive soils: Problems and Practice in Foundation and Pavement Engineering”, John Wiley Publication.
[3] Satyanarayana, B (1966). "Swelling pressure and related mechanical properties of black cotton soils”, PhD Thesis, I. I. Sc., Bangalore.
[4] Katti, R.K. (1978). "Search for solutions to problems in black cotton soils”, First I.G.S Annual Lecture, Indian Geotech. Society at I.I.T., Delhi.
[5] Ranganatham, B.V. and Satyanarayana, B. (1965). "A rational method of predicting swelling potential for compacted expansive clays”, Proc. 6th Int. Conf. S.M. & F.E., Canada, Vol.1, pp. 92-96.
[6] Phanikumar, B.R., Malini, C.A. and Karthika, R. (2012). "Swell-consolidation characteristics of artificial sand clay mixes”, Jrl. of Geomechanics and Geoengineering: An international journal, Vol.7, Issue 1. pp. 69-74.
[7] Sharma, D., Jain, M. P. and Prakash, C. (1978). "Handbook on under-reamed and bored compaction pile foundations”, Roorkee, India, Central Building Research Institute.
[8] Phanikumar, B.R (1997). "A study of swelling characteristics of and granular pile anchor foundation system in expansive soils”, Ph.D thesis, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological Univ., Hyderabad, India.
[9] Phanikumar B.R., Sharma. R.S., Rao, A.S. and Madhav, M. R. (2004). "Granular pile anchor foundation system for improving the engineering behaviour of expansive clay beds”, ASTM Geotechnical Testing Jrl. 133(5), pp. 531 – 538.
[10] Rao, A.S., Phanikumar, B.R., Dayakar Babu, R and Suresh, K. (2007). "Pullout behavior of granular pile-anchors in expansive clay beds in-situ”, Journal of Geotech. and Geoenvironmental Eng., pp. 531-538.
[11] Rao, A. S., Phanikumar, B.R. and Suresh, K. (2008). "Response of granular pile-anchors under compression, Ground Improvement, Vol. 161, Issue 3, pp. 121 – 129.
[12] Phanikumar, B.R., Rao, A.S. and Suresh, K. (2008). "Field behavior of granular pile-anchors in expansive soils, Ground Improvement, Vol. 161, Issue 4, pp.19-26.
[13] Phanikumar, B.R. and Sharma, R.S. (2004). "Effect of fly ash on engineering properties of expansive soils”, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 130 (7), pp. 764-767.
[14] Phanikumar, B.R. (2009). "Effect of lime and fly ash on swell consolidation and shear strength characteristics of expansive clays: A comparative study”, Jrl. of Geomechanics and Geoengineering: An international journal, Vol.4, Issue 2, pp. 175-181.
[15] Adhikari, R., Suri, S. and Phanikumar, B. R. (2013). "Free swell index of an expansive soil blended with lime and fly ash”, GRAVITAS, VIT University, India.
[16] Rollings, R. S., Burkes, J. P. and Rollings, M. P. (1999). "Sulfate attack on cement-stabilised sand”, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 125 (5), 364-372.
[17] Acosta, H., Edil, T. and Benson, C. (2003). "Soil stabilization and drying using fly ash”, Geo Engineering Rep No. 03-03, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engg., Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wis.
[18] Suri, S., Adhikari, R. and Phanikumar, B. R. (2013). "Free swell index of an expansive soil blended with lime and fly ash”, A Research Report submitted to VIT University, India.
[19] Phanikumar, B.R, Mani, A.J., Sathiyasheelan, S. and Reddy, P.R. (2009). "Fly ash columns (FAC) as an innovative foundation technique for expansive clay beds”, Jrl. of Geomechanics and Geoengineering: An international journal, Vol. 4, Issue 3 pp.183-188.
[20] Phanikumar, B. R. (2001). "Fly ash-stabilised clay cushion for expansive soils”, A Research Report submitted to J. N. Technological University, Hyderabad, India.