FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMNTAL ENGINEERING

INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF VOLCANIC ASH ON LIME STABILIZED EXPANSIVE

SUBGRADE SOILS

BY

AMANI THOMAS BONIFACE IS17B00/046

A FINAL YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF

ENGINEERING, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF BANCHELORS OF SCIENCE IN
CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this is my own work and it has never been submitted to any
other institution for any award. All the sources of data and ideas quoted directly or
paraphrased have been cited in this report. Therefore, this is submitted for marking
by;

Student name: AMANI THOMAS BONIFACE

Registration number: IS17B00/046

Signature: …………………………………….

Date: …………………………………………….
 APPROVAL

This research report by AMANI THOMAS BONIFACE has been undertaken under my
supervision and is submitted to the Department of Engineering and Environment as a
partial fulfillment requirement for the award of Bachelors of Science in Civil and
Environmental Engineering.

Academic Supervisor: Mr. ZZIGWA MARVIN

Signature: ……………………………………………………….

Date: ……………………………………………………………….
Table of Contents
DECLARATION ........................................................................................................................................ 2
APPROVAL ............................................................................................................................................... 3
CHAPTER ONE.............................................................................................................................................. 5
1.0 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................... 5
1.1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 6
1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT ....................................................................................................................... 8
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY .......................................................................................................... 8
1.3.1 MAIN OBJECTIVE..................................................................................................................... 8
1.3.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................... 8
1.3.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .......................................................................................................... 8
1.4 PROJECT SCOPE ............................................................................................................................. 9
1.4.1GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE ........................................................................................................... 9
1.4.2 CONTENT SCOPE..................................................................................................................... 9
1.5 JUSTIFICATION ............................................................................................................................... 9
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY ............................................................................................................ 10
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................................... 11
2.1 SOIL ................................................................................................................................................. 11
2.2 EXPANSIVE SOILS ...................................................................................................................... 11
2.2 SUBGRADE...................................................................................................................................... 12
2.3 SOIL STABILIZATION ...................................................................................................................... 13
2.3.1 MECHANICAL STABILIZATION................................................................................................. 13
2.3.2 CHEMICAL STABILIZATION ......................................................................................................... 14
2.3.2.1 CEMENT STABILIZATION ......................................................................................................... 14
2.3.2.2. LIME STABILIZATION ........................................................................................................... 15
2.4 SULPHATES ON LIME STABILIZATION....................................................................................... 17
2.3.3 STABILIZATION OF EXPANSIVE SOILS. ................................................................................. 18
2.3.4 PREVIOUS STUDIES ON STABILIZATION OF EXPANSIVE SOILS..................................................... 19
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................... 22
3.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 22
3.1 MATERIAL ACQUISITION AND PREPARATION ...................................................................... 22
3.2 EXPERIMENTS ............................................................................................................................ 22
REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................................... 24
 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Globally, expansive soils are considered to be one of the most problematic soils as
they cause damage to various civil engineering structures because of their high
swelling and shrinking potential when in contact with water (Anjan, 2019).

Expansive soils behave differently from other normal soils due to their tendency to
swell and become plastic in the presence of water, they shrink when dry and expand
when exposed to frost (Ankit et al., 2003) posing a serious threat to the stability of
structures built on them.

In Road construction, usage of expansive soils as subgrade poses a threat to the

stability of the road structure as the soils high swell and shrink potential will produce
significant volume changes and uplift forces on the road pavement layers resulting in
to cracking, rutting and potholes on the road (Waren, 1995).

One of the methods for soil improvement is that the problematic soils are replaced by
suitable soil and compacted however compaction alone is often not enough when it
comes to stabilizing fine-grained expansive soils. The cost involved in this method has
led researchers to identify alternative methods like soil stabilization with different
additives which has proved to be effective (Arpan &Rishabh, 2012).

Modification of engineering properties of expansive soils has become very important

in roads construction. This modification can be achieved with the help of chemical
stabilization. Stabilization of such non-ideal soils requires proper study on the
stabilization effectiveness, when treated with a chemical stabilizer. Stabilized soils
are a composite material that is obtained from the combination and optimization of
properties of constituent materials. Adding cementing agents such as lime, cement
with industrial byproducts like fly ash and slag to soil results in improved soil
geotechnical properties (Ali et al., 2017), however over the past years, research has
proven that soil stabilized chemically with lime alone underwent significant amount
of heaving due to sulphate attacks leading to pavement failure. Lime with a
pozzolanic material such as volcanic ash can significantly overcome such problems.

1.1 BACKGROUND

The concept of stabilization is 5000 years old. McDowell 1965 indicated that stabilized
earth roads were used in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and that the Greeks and
Romans used lime as a stabilizer to increase in soil strength, durability stiffness,
reduction in soil plasticity and swelling/shrinkage (Ali et al., 2017). However, recent
heaving and premature pavement failures in lime and cement-treated subgrades
containing sulfates led to questioning the validity of calcium-based stabilization. The
failure is due to loss of stabilizer over time, or the stabilizer being ineffective in some
soils while other soils with the same index properties respond well to that stabilizer
(Little, 2000).

Traditional lime stabilizers typically depend on pozzolanic reactions and cation

exchange to modify and stabilize soil. Pozzolanic reactions occur when siliceous and
aluminous materials react chemically with calcium hydroxide at regular temperatures
to form cementitious compounds. On the other hand, a cation exchange occurs when
the soil is able to exchange free cations available in the exchange locations; however,
organic carbon present in the soil can inhibit the reaction between calcium and the
clay mineral surface. This occurs generally because the organic molecule is quite
complex and can adsorb calcium cations or interact with soil exchange sites and
hence prevent them from reacting with the soil as they normally would to produce
cation exchange and pozzolanic reaction. As general rule, an organic content in
excess of one percent is a cause for concern that the organic material will interfere
with pozzolanic reaction. The solution to this problem will range from removing the
soil, or adding lime with a pozzolanic material that can boost the pozzolanic reaction
for effective stabilization. Thus using of volcanic ash with lime can effectively
stabilize the expansive soil.
The strength of lime-stabilized soil is both time and temperature dependent. The
time required to reach a certain percentage of curing can be accelerated by curing at
a higher temperature. The higher temperature accelerates the formation of
pozzolanic reaction products. However, if the accelerated curing temperature is too
high, the pozzolanic compounds formed during laboratory curing can differ
substantially from those that would normally develop in the field. Volcanic ash is
mainly composed of silicon dioxide(Si02) and aluminum oxide (AI2O3). It is widely being
used for materials partial replacement of cement in concrete, because of pozzolanic
property. This provides opportunities for it to be used as a stabilizing agent, because
cementitious hydrated calcium silicate and hydrated calcium aluminate can be
formed when elements of volcanic ash react with water and lime. (Yasafuku,2014).

The studies reported in the literature show that the addition of lime increased the
optimum moisture content and strength and reduced the plasticity index and
maximum dry density of the soil (Guney et al.,2007). The use of natural pozzolana in
association with lime for stabilization of cohesive soils needs to be investigated. As
soil is a good source of alumina, the effects of lime treatment can be enhanced to a
great extent if the apparent shortage of silica can be adequately supplemented by the
addition of natural pozzolana, which is high in reactive silica content (Ghrici et
al.,2007).

The stabilized soil with lime indicated brittle behavior and is subjected to tensile
stresses for various reasons including traffic movement on pavement, soil shrinkage,
temperature changes, as well as wetting and drying if placed in the pavement sub-
grade (Reddy et al.,2019; Shekhawat et al.,2018). The stresses can severely damage
the stabilized soil, while stabilization with lime in areas under more repeated wet-dry
cycles is not very efficient due to the leaching of stabilizing material and volumetric
changes in soil due to swelling and shrinkage (Shekhawat et al.,2018; Behnood 2018).
The addition of volcanic ash is considered to be appropriate solution for the created
tensile stress, providing greater durability of the stabilized soil.

Volcanic ash is not soluble in water, very rough and corrosive. The content of silica is
the main constituent element in the forming of cement, therefore the volcanic ash
has the pozzolan characteristic. The pozzolan characteristic has the behavior of
binding other minerals that exist in clay so that it hardens in a certain period of time.
The content of silica that is found in volcanic ash is 82.4% and calcium is
5.10%(Sarkar., 2020; Sun 2018).

1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT

The problems faced by lime stabilized are loss in shear strength that results from
carbonation and sulfate attacks in the stabilized soils. Carbonation results from
reaction between free lime and atmospheric carbon dioxide which results in
pulverization of soils when the soils are exposed in air for a long time (umesha et al,
2009) this leads to cracking. When lime stabilized soils contain soluble sulfate salts,
they undergo sulphate attacks which result in to ettringite and thaumasite which
cause heaving and disintegration of the soils (Mitchell 1986, Hunter 1988, Nair and
Little 2011.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1.3.1 MAIN OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of volcanic ash on lime stabilized expansive subgrade soils.

1.3.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. To determine the mechanical properties of unstabilized expansive soils
2. To determine chemical composition of volcanic ash
3. To investigate the effect of volcanic ash on formation of entrigite in lime
stabilized soil.
4. To determine the optimum mix design of volcanic ash on lime stabilized soils.

1.3.3RESEARCH QUESTIONS
 What are the properties of expansive soils?
 What are chemical composition of volcanic ash?
 What effect does volcanic ash have on formation of entrigite in lime stabilized
soil lime?
 What optimum mix design of volcanic ash on lime stabilized soils?
1.4 PROJECT SCOPE

1.4.1GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE
The scope of this study is the Manafwa-Bududa road connecting Manafwa district to
Bududa district. It is geographically bound by latitude 2° 49’ N and 2° 55’ N, longitude
34° 15’ E and 34° 34’ E.

1.4.2 CONTENT SCOPE

This research revolved around review of literature to acquire depth information about
the stabilization of expansive soils using lime, volcanic ash and we intend to
effectively solve the problem of sulfate attack faced by lime stabilized soils using
volcanic ash. This study is focused on the determination of strength of the blended
mix of volcanic ash, lime stabilized soils. It constitutes of determination of the
appropriate proportion mix whose engineering properties conform to those desired in
Ministry of Works and Transport’s standards using the following steps:

 Determination of mechanical properties of expansive soils using soil

classification including, sieve tests, atterberg limit test inclusive of plastic
limit test using cone penetration method, liquid limit test, and linear shrinkage
test, proctor test for dry density and optimum moisture content, unconfined
compressive strength test.
 Determination of chemical composition of volcanic ash by x-ray test.
 Determination of effectiveness of volcanic ash

1.5 JUSTIFICATION
Stabilized soils can be extremely useful construction materials in many countries of
the world, especially if they can be produced from locally available resources.
Volcanic ash is found in many part of Uganda and lime deposits are also available. The
use of natural lime and volcanic ash as stabilizers in soil stabilization can reduce
construction costs and can provide an environmentally friendly means and reduce the
cost of sub-grade construction (Hossain, 2000). Limited research had been conducted
to investigate the suitability of using volcanic ash in soil stabilization in association
with cement and natural lime.

In addition of stabilizing material like volcanic ash, Silica and alumina of volcanic ash
mixed with water will establish paste which ties clay particles and covers soil pores.
The pore holes are surrounded by cementing materials which are difficult to infiltrate
by water so that the mixture of soil- volcanic ash will not be sensitive against water
absorption so that its plasticity decreases.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

This study is aimed at improving the strength characteristics of lime stabilized soils
with addition of volcanic ash for the purposes of pavement construction since areas
with expansive soils cause difficulty in their construction. Therefore, when the
research is completed it will complement the work done by other researchers and
promote volcanic ash, lime stabilization as alternatives for stabilization of expansive
soils
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 SOIL
Soil is any un cemented or weakly cemented accumulation of mineral particles formed
by the weathering of rocks, the void spaces between particles containing water and
air. Soil can be dry, partially saturated or saturated. When soils are dry, the voids are
full of air, when the soils are saturated, the air voids are full of water, when they are
partially saturated, the air voids are full of water and air. Soil composition differs
from one location to another. Solids which exhibit plasticity characteristics during the
presence of clay minerals are termed as cohesive soils (soil mechanics, Geotechnical
Engineering Sub department by Dr. Gilbert J Kasangaki).

2.2 EXPANSIVE SOILS

Expansive soils are soils that are prone to volume changes that are directly
related to seasonal changes in water content (moisture), owing their
characteristics to the presence of swelling clay minerals. As they get wet, the
clay minerals absorb water molecules and expand; conversely, as they dry, they
shrink, leaving large voids in the soil. Swelling clays can control the behavior of
virtually any type of soil if the percentage of clay is more than about 5% by
weight. Soils with smectite clay minerals, such as montmorillonite, exhibit the
most profound swelling properties.

The more water they absorb, the more the volume increases hence expansions
of 10% or more are not uncommon and their shrinkage can remove support from
a structure and cause damage. Fissures in the soil develop and facilitate the
deep penetration of water when moist conditions or runoff occurs. This cycle of
shrinkage and swelling places repetitive stresses on the road structure and
damage worsens over time, so this kind of nature represents the clayey soils
with a depleted bearing capacity and an elevated compressibility level. Thus, in
order to support the road structure, the bearing capacity of these soils always
requires improvement and several soil improvements such as soil replacement
and chemical stabilization are done. However, some of the methods are harmful
to the environment so, efforts to achieve soil stabilization ought to make use of
materials that are environmentally friendly (Ali et al., 2016). Thus, the use of
molasses and a stiffener such as cement to improve on the engineering
properties of these expansive soils as well as suppress environmentally
unfriendly nuisances such as dust.

2.2 SUBGRADE
In transportation engineering, the subgrade is the native material underneath a
construction road, pavement, or railway track. It is also called formation level.
The subgrade performance depends on; load-bearing capacity, moisture
content, additional base layers and strength, stiffness of subgrade soil.

2.2.1 PROPERTIES OF SUBGRADE SOIL

 Stability

Subgrade soils must have sufficient resistance to permanent deformation under

traffic loads.

 Incompressibility

The finished surface of the subgrade should be well compacted so that it

prevents compressive under heavy traffic load and provides good support to
road pavement.

 Durability

Subgrade soil is the most important component of road pavement. If the

subgrade is weak, it affects the durability of the road pavement, hence the
bearing capacity of subgrade soil should be sufficient for long term durability.

 Drain ability
Drain ability is also an important property of the subgrade. The subgrade must
have excellent drain capacity otherwise it affects the strength of the pavement.
Good drainage is necessary so as to prevent excessive moisture retention and
minimize potential frost action.

 Ease of compaction

Subgrade soils must have good compacting properties. A well-compacted

subgrade surface increases the strength and durability of road pavements. Due
to ease of compaction ensures high density and strength.

2.3 SOIL STABILIZATION

Soil stabilization may be defined as the alteration or preservation of one or more soil
properties to improve the engineering characteristics and performance of a soil.
Stabilization can increase the shear strength of a soil, control the shrink-swell
properties of a soil, thus improving the load bearing capacity of a sub-grade to
support pavements and foundations (Tamardhert et al., 2007).

Soil stabilization can be accomplished by several methods however the methods fall
into two broad categories namely mechanical stabilization and chemical stabilization.
Mechanical stabilization includes compaction, and fibrous and other non-
biodegradable reinforcement of geomaterials to improve strength. Chemical
stabilization includes use of chemicals and emulsion aids to soil s, as binders and
water repellents, as a means of modifying the behavior of clay.

2.3.1 MECHANICAL STABILIZATION

This process of mechanical stabilization is accomplished by mixing or blending soils of
two or more gradations to obtain a material meeting the required soil properties. The
main purpose is to improve the stability and load bearing capacity of the soil. These
can be achieved through controlled proportioning and mechanically mixing the natural
soil with a stabilizing material together so as to achieve a homogenous mixture
(Tamardhert et al., 2007). Mechanical stabilization produces the desired engineering
properties by compaction of the soil aggregate particles producing a dense soil mass.
Also, additional fines or aggregates maybe blended before compaction to form a
uniform, well-graded, dense soil-aggregate mixture after compaction. The choice of
methods should be based on the gradation of the material. In some instances,
geotextiles can be used to improve a soil’s engineering characteristics. (Soil
Stabilization of Roads and Airfields, 2012).

2.3.2 CHEMICAL STABILIZATION

This is the process of improving the properties of a soil by use of chemicals (e.g.
cement, lime and fly ash) which improve the chemical properties of soil which
include; the plasticity and swelling index among others. This method of stabilization
also improves workability during compaction, reduces swelling and shrinkage
incidences, reduces dust emissions and increases the strength and stiffness of the
subgrade layer (Alan, 2003). In this research project, the expansive soils are
chemically stabilized using volcanic ash and lime to increase the bearing capacity, to
reduce on their plasticity index and permeability and also increase workability.

The major types of chemical stabilization are by use of cement and lime as described
below;

2.3.2.1 CEMENT STABILIZATION

According to Duncan, (1997), Ordinary Portland cement hydrates when water is
added and the reaction produces a cementitious gel that is independent of the
soil. This gel is made up of calcium silicate hydrates; calcium aluminate
hydrates and hydrated lime. The first two compounds form the main bulk of the
gel, whereas the lime is deposited as a separate crystalline solid phase. The
cementation process results in deposition between the soil particles of an
insoluble binder capable of embedding soil particles in a matrix of cementitious
gel. The lime released during hydration of the cement reacts further with the
clay fraction forming additional cementitious bonds. Soil-cement mixes should
be compacted immediately after mixing in order not to break down the newly
created gel and therefore reduce strengthening. The basic function of
cementation is to make the soil water resistant by reducing swelling and
increasing its compressive strength.
Cement is considered a good stabilizer for granular soils but unsatisfactory for
clays. The range of cement content needed for good stabilization is between 2%
and 4% by weight. Though cement stabilization is preferred, it proves
unworkable for soils containing organic matter and excess salt content.
Sulphates can retard or prevent hydration of cement in soil-cement mixture.
Soils containing more than 2% organic material are usually considered
unacceptable (Annon, 1990).

2.3.2.2. LIME STABILIZATION

Lime improves the strength of clay by three mechanisms: hydration of quicklime,
flocculation, and cementation. The first and second mechanisms occur almost
immediately upon introducing the lime in the soil, while the third is a prolonged
effect. One of the most important factors that define the soil/lime reactivity is the
ph. Therefore, a soil pH greater than 7 indicates usually a good reactivity to lime
treatment. Lime first flocculates the clay and substantially reduces the plasticity
index. This reduction is time dependent during the initial weeks, and has the effect of
increasing the optimum moisture content and decreasing the maximum dry density in
compaction. The compaction characteristics are therefore constantly changing with
time and delays in compaction causing reduction in density and consequently
reduction in strength and durability.

Both the ion exchange reaction and the production of cementitious materials increase
the stability and reduce the volume change within the clay fraction. The swell may
even be reduced from 7% or 8% to 0.1% by the addition of lime. The production of
cementitious material can continue for some time but the materials and the
environment will influence the strength developed. (Soil Stabilization of Roads and
Airfields, 2012).

Organic carbon reduces lime-soil reactions. Also, poorly drained soils tend to have a
better reaction to lime treatment than well-drained soils. Calcareous soils (soil that
has calcium carbonate CaC03) have good reactivity. Depending of the depth of the
problematic soil and the type of geotechnical application.
In general, smaller amounts of additives are required when it is desired only to modify
the soil properties such as workability and plasticity. When it is needed to improve
the strength and durability significantly, larger quantities of additives are used. The
National Lime Association in the USA gives a general context about lime treatment
procedure. Lime in the form of quicklime (calcium oxide – CaO), hydrated lime
(calcium hydroxide – Ca OH2), or lime slurry can be used to treat soils. Quicklime is
manufactured by chemically transforming calcium carbonate (limestone – CaCO3) into

calcium oxide. Hydrated lime is created when quicklime chemically reacts with
water.

It is hydrated lime that reacts with clay particles and permanently transforms them
into a strong cementitious matrix. (LIME, 2004). Hydrated lime is the most used in
chemical stabilization application, whilst quicklime stabilization represents only 10
percent of the lime used in stabilization procedures.

Most lime used for soil treatment is “high calcium” lime, which contains no more than
5 percent magnesium oxide or hydroxide. On some occasions, however, "dolomitic"
lime is used. Dolomitic lime contains 35 to 46 percent magnesium oxide or hydroxide.
Dolomitic lime can perform well in soil stabilization, although the magnesium fraction
reacts more slowly than the calcium fraction. Nelson and Miller recommend a
percentage of 3 to 8% of the weight of the soil mass of hydrated lime to be added to
the top several centimeters of the soil. Ismael (2006) recommends a percentage
between 3-5%, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTO) percentages of 2, 4 and 6%. Thus, we conclude that the percentage of lime
depends on the properties of the treated soil, the final destination of the site and
therefore the desired change in geotechnical parameters of the treated soil
compound.

Lime interacts with the clay by a strong alkaline reaction, causing a base exchange,
where calcium ions displace the potassium, sodium and hydrogen cations. This causes
a decrease in plasticity of the clay soils by the appearance of flocculation and
aggregation. On a long term basis, the pozzolanic reaction is defined by the
appearance of the silicate rich hydrates groups by the interaction of the calcium from
the lime.

Advantages and disadvantages of different types of lime include:

quicklime, is the economical one. Being more concentrated a smaller quantity is

required in practice. The National Lime Association defines the report of dry
quicklime to dry hydrated lime to be ¾. Disadvantages include special precaution
measures and special attention to ensure adequate water conditions, mellowing and
mixing. On the other side, for the dry hydrated lime, the advantage is that it can be
applied more rapidly than slurry lime, and that it can also dry the soil, but not as
effectively as quicklime. The major disadvantage of hydrated lime stabilization in
practice is the environmental factor. The hydrated lime consists in very fine particles,
dust can be a problem and renders this type of application in dense populate areas
almost impossible. The effectiveness of the lime treatment on clay soils is time
dependent.

The outcomes of lime stabilization of the soil include:

• Dewatering of the soil as a reaction with Quicklime.

• Decreasing the plasticity index (PI) and Augmentation of the plasticity limit

• Flocculation change in grainsize distribution

• Reduction of the maximal Proctor density - Flattening of the Proctor Curve

• Augmentation of the CBR

2.4 SULPHATES ON LIME STABILIZATION

The presence of soluble sulfate salts can present problems when soils are with any
stabilized with any calcium-based (lime, Portland cement, fly ash). Sulfates in the soil
combine with calcium and alumina from clay, and with water, to form the minerals
ettringite and thaumasite in a highly expansion reaction. The formation of these
minerals after compaction can result in significant pavement heaving and loss of
strength.

2.3.3 STABILIZATION OF EXPANSIVE SOILS.

Previously, expansive soils have been stabilized using various materials and
methods. In Uganda, such methods have not been embraced so much unlike on a
few national roads, so removing and replacing the expansive soils with borrowed
soil material of better quality is the most common method of avoiding such
problematic soils. This is the reason why construction of Ugandan roads is
potentially high.

Traditional stabilizers such as lime and Portland cement have been the most
widely used of the chemical additives to alter the characteristics of clay mineral
and reduce its potential for swelling. Lime is perhaps the most effective of all
the chemicals used to stabilize the expansive soils. The major limitation of its
routine use is the application of the chemical to sufficient depth. Conventional
techniques generally limit the depth of treatment to approximately 8 to 12
inches. Many projects have been stabilized by mixing the soil and lime (1% to 5%
hydrated lime) to depths varying from 1 foot to 3 feet with varying degree of
success (Ahmad Ardani, Colorado Department of Transportation, 1992). Lime
stabilization will effectively seal and reduce the swelling potential if adequately
mixed with the soil to a proper depth. According to some of the literature
reviewed, a thorough understanding of lime-soil interaction is still lacking. Soil
lime reactions are complex, so more research is needed in this area to identify
the depth of treatment for various expansive soils and proper amounts of lime.

Another widely used process is pre-wetting of Soil (moisture stabilization in its

many forms). Most pre-wetted clay subgrades are injected with water to a
depth that will nearly eliminate subgrade swell potential. After this process,
they are either covered with a polyethylene sheet to retain moisture, kept wet
by sprinkling, or built on fairly quickly. Vertical or horizontal moisture-loss
barriers have been installed in only a few cases in the past, but their use is
becoming more frequent (J. Mater, 2002). The combined effect of a moistened
subgrade and moisture barriers, when applied correctly, can be very successful.
The application of moisture treatment coupled with proper degrees of
compaction has been utilized extensively.

In Uganda, stabilization of expansive clays has been carried out on many roads
including the Nansana-Busunju rehabilitation road project where the existing
subbase poor soils on some sections were treated with 30% graded Crushed
Stone CRR and lime

2.3.4 PREVIOUS STUDIES ON STABILIZATION OF EXPANSIVE SOILS

The evolution of technology has given rise to the research in establishing

alternative soil stabilization techniques which can be more cost effective and
environment-friendly than the conventional soil stabilization methods. The
greener soil stabilization methods normally induce polymers, tree resins, fibers,
alkali chlorides and enzymes. (Viswanathan, 2009) analyzed the swell behavior
of an expansive soil stabilized by different fiber percentages, with varying
aspect ratios. The results of the odometer swell-consolidation test showed a
maximum decrement in swell pressure with a lower aspect ratio at both fiber
percentages. Studies have indicated that recycled fibers from random sources
such as scrap rubber tires, can be used for soil stabilization (Trouzine et
al.,2013). They found 2% tire content to be the optimum for UCS increment and
0.2% of polypropylene and polyethylene to be optimum for UCS. The fiber
addition at these percentages also increased the shear modulus of treated
samples.

In a study by (Pandian and Krishna, 2003), Class-F fly ash (FFA) up to 100% was
added to expansive black cotton soil at an increment of 10%. They found out
that the CBR values increased up to the 20% addition of FA, then after initially
decreasing upon further FA increments, it showed an increase to attain an
optimum value with 70% FA content.

Al-Rawas et al.,2005 used different percentages and combinations of pozzolan

cement and lime for expansive soil stabilization. The swelling potential was
distributed into two components as swell pressure and swell percent. Their
results showed change in different soil characteristics with variations in
additives and a reduced swell potential for stabilized soil. They concluded that
lime exhibited better suitability to reduce the swelling potential of soil in
comparison whereas pozzolan increased the swelling potential.

In the study conducted by (Saride et al.,2013) on organic expansive soils. The

optimum percentage of cement for soil-cement and lime for soil-lime were
obtained at a range of 3% - 6.5% (based on soil type) producing 1035kPa UCS
after seven days of curing. It was observed that the OMC of the of the soils
increased and a reduced dry density was recorded due to decrease in soil’s unit
weight. In addition, it was reported that the lime caused larger decrease in
plasticity as compared to cement and the increment in the UCS for soils treated
with any of the two additives was negligible (for lime) or even decreased (in
case of cement) after 28 days curing period. (Du et al., 1999) also made
observations related to the organic content of the expansive soil. They
reported that lime treatment of the expansive soil containing 7% lesser organic
content caused more improvement in the UCS to 893 kPa compared with other
types of expansive soil samples under study.

Another recent work studying the stabilization of over-consolidated expansive

soil was carried out by Khemissa and Mahamedi (2014) with various cement-lime
mixing ratios. It was noted that addition of stabilizers decreased the swelling
potential of the soil from a higher methylene blue value of greater than six to
just above two. It was also observed that CBR values increased with treatment
and optimum results were obtained when cement and lime were added (2% and
8%) for soaked CBR. Meanwhile for the un-soaked CBR the optimum results were
reached with addition of 8% cement and 4% lime. Also, the direct shear tests
showed that the optimum value for the improved bearing capacity of soil was
obtained with an 8% cement and 4% lime.

Also, waste products from industries such as the food industry have been
researched as suitable soil stabilizers. (Ahmad et al., 2008) investigated the
effect of palm oil fuel ash (POFA) and POFA- cement mix on clay properties.
They found that the addition of POFA significantly reduced the plasticity index
and optimum moisture content. The cement-POFA mix produced better
improvements in the UCS than the pure POFA.
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY

3.0 INTRODUCTION
This chapter mainly contains the methodology that will be used to achieve our study
objectives. The methodology describes the procedures and details on how the
research will be carried out(Kothari,2004).

3.1 MATERIAL ACQUISITION AND PREPARATION

Expansive soils

Expansive soils will be obtained from Manafwa-Bududa road connecting Manafwa

district to Bududa district.

3.2 EXPERIMENTS
The physical and mechanical properties of the expansive soils will then be determined
using the following experiments:

Test carried out in order to grade the expansive soils include;

 Sieve analysis test using dry sieving as BS 1377: part 2:1990

 Liquid limit test using cone penetration as per BS 1377 part 2:1990
 Plastic limit test as per BS 1377: part 2:1990
 Linear shrinkage test as per BS 1377: part 2:1990
 Hydrometer test will be carried out in case we have 50% passing the
75micrometer sieve in order to enable grading of fine and clay particles.
 Compaction properties will be determined using dry density- moisture content
relations test to be carried out as per as per BS 1377: part 4:1900
 Unconfined compressive strength tests will be carried out to determine the
compressive strength of the soils as per TMHI: Method A14:1986

Determine the chemical composition of volcanic ash

 X-ray diffraction test will be carried out to determine the chemical

composition such as, silica, alumina of volcanic ash as per ASTM D4452
Tests on the effect of volcanic ash on ettringite formation in lime stabilized soils will
be carried out by testing volcanic ash, lime stabilized soils against different
concentrations of sulphate solution as per ASTM C1012.
REFERENCES
A Benhood ‘Soil and clay stabilization with calcium and non-calcium based additives’,
A state of the art review and challenges, approaches and techniques, Transport
Geotechnics Vol 17,pp14-32,2018

Dr Jamil A Noji “the use of lime to stabilize Grannular Volcanic Ash materials for road
construction

Mahmood Reza Abdi and Leila Shafiei Chafi “Journel of rock mechanics and
Geotechnical Engineering Vol3, issue 4, 2021; An investigation in to the effects of
lime on compressive and shear strength characteristics of fiber reinforced clays”.

Asadey Adnan “Influence of lime on low plastic clay soil used a subgrade”

Liu Yunhang, Sai Vanapalli “Modelling in Geotechnical engineering, 2021”

Anjan Patel “Geotechnical investigations and improvements of ground conditions

Ekolu S. O, M. D. A. Thomas, “Proceedings from the internal conference on Advances

in Engneering and Technology, 2006”