Stabilization of Lateritic Soil with Sugarcane Bagasse Ash
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Date
2015-11
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
For soils to be suitable in civil engineering projects, they must meet existing local requirements for index properties in addition to certain strength criteria. Typically, specification limits these properties to some threshold values, which in most cases are project specific. Some lateritic soils, in their natural state, need some treatment or modification to meet these specification requirements.
Soil-stabilization is any treatment applied to a soil to improve its strength and reduce vulnerability to water. Disposal of large quantities of industrial by-products as fills on disposal sites adjacent to industries not only require large space but also create many geo-environmental problems. The disposal of the agro-industrial waste product of sugar mills-Bagasse ash also faces these problems. However, this ash were found to have pozzolanic properties, therefore have been used as stabilization agent in expansive and lateritic soils as well as in partial replacement of cement by many researchers.
In this research work, a lateritic soil was treated with sugarcane bagasse ash in stepped concentration of 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 16% by weight of dry soil. The effects of the ash on geotechnical properties of the soil were investigated. Test specimens were subjected to atterberg limit, free swell, linear shrinkage, compaction and CBR tests.
The lateritic soil under study belongs to A-7-6 class of soil according to AASHTO soil classification system. The analysis of results showed a slight decrease in the maximum dry density and soaked CBR values. The free swell also showed a slight decrement up to 4% of ash then showed an increase. A slight increase in plasticity index, shrinkage limit, optimum moisture content and unsoaked CBR values was also observed.
Generally, from the results it was concluded that sugarcane bagasse ash was not an effective stabilizer for the improvement of some of the geotechnical properties of the soil by its own
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Geotechnical Engineering