Rapid Chemical Stabilization of Soft Clay Soils

Abstract

Since World War II, the military has sought methods for rapid stabilization of weak soils for support of its missions worldwide. Over the past 60 years, cement and lime have been the most effective stabilizers for road and airfield applications, although many nontraditional stabilizers also have been developed and used. The most effective stabilizer to increase the strength of two soft clay soils within 72 h for contingency airfields to support C-17 and C-130 aircraft traffic needed to be determined. The treatment of one clay with cement resulted in relatively high unconfined compressive strengths (UCS), whereas treating the same clay with quicklime and calcium carbide resulted in lower UCS. The treatment of another clay with higher plasticity resulted in similar UCS for cement, quicklime, and calcium carbide. Secondary stabilizers, including sodium silicate, superabsorbent polymers, a superplasticizer, and an accelerator, were ineffective in increasing the UCS of a soil treated with cement, quicklime, or calcium carbide.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Rafalko

S. D.

Rapid Soil Stabilization of Soft Clay Soils for Contingency Airfields. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, 2006.

Newman

J. K.

Rapid Soil Stabilization Technologies. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Miss., 2005. www.mildust.net/uploads/NewmanSoilStabilizationAPOD32905-930.pdf. Accessed August 12, 2007.

Tingle

J. S.

, and Santoni

R. L.

Stabilization of Clay Soils with Nontraditional Additives. In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1819, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2003, pp. 72–84.

Grogan

W. P.

, and Tingle

J. S.

Evaluation of Unsurfaced Airfield Criteria for Operation of C-17 Aircraft. Journal of Transportation Engineering, Vol. 125, No. 1, 1999, pp. 67–74.

Tingle

J. S.

, and Grogan

W. P.

Behavior of Unsurfaced Airfields Supporting Operations of C-17 Aircraft. Journal of Transportation Engineering, Vol. 125, No. 1, 1999, pp. 75–84.

Army/Air Force/Navy. Joint Rapid Airfield Construction. JRAC Project Web Site. https://jrac.erdc.usace.army.mil/. Accessed August 16, 2006.

Prusinski

J. R.

, and Bhattacharja

Effectiveness of Portland Cement and Lime in Stabilizing Clay Soils. In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1652, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1999, pp. 215–227.

Herzog

, and Mitchell

J. K.

Reactions Accompanying Stabilization of Clay with Cement. In Highway Research Record 36, HRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1963, pp. 146–171.

Cement; Lime; Gypsum. Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol. 04.01, ASTM, West Conshohocken, Pa., 2004.

10.

Krizek

R. J.

, and Pepper

S. F.

Slurries in Geotechnical Engineering. The Twelfth Spencer J. Buchanan Lecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, 2004.

11.

Gallagher

P. M.

Passive Site Remediation for Mitigation of Liquefaction Risk. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, 2000.

12.

Mamlouk

M. S.

, and Zaniewski

J. P.

Materials for Civil and Construction Engineers. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., Menlo Park, Calif., 1999.

13.

Little

D. N.

Handbook for Stabilization of Pavement Subgrades and Base Courses with Lime. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, Ia., 1995.

14.

Alexander

M. L.

, Smith

R. E.

, and Sherman

G. B.

Relative Stabilizing Effect of Various Limes on Clayey Soils. In Highway Research Record 38, HRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1972, pp. 27–36.

15.

Soil and Rock; Construction. Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol. 04.08. ASTM, West Conshohocken, Pa., 2003.

16.

Ding

, Qui

, and Li

Soluble-Silicate Mud Additives Inhibit Unstable Clays. Oil & Gas Journal, Vol. 94, No. 14, 1996, pp. 66–68.

17.

Ruff

C. G.

, and Davidson

D. T.

Lime and Sodium Silicate Stabilization of Montmorillonite Clay Soil. In Highway Research Record 304, HRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1961, pp. 76–92.

18.

Lambe

T. W.

Stabilization of Soils with Calcium Acrylate. Boston Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. 38, No. 2, 1951, pp. 127–154.

19.

Karol

R. H.

Chemical Grouting and Soil Stabilization. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 2003.

20.

Naudts

, Landry

, Hooey

, and Naudts

Additives and Admixtures in Cement-Based Grouts, ECO Grouting Specialists Ltd., Grand Valley, Ontario, Canada, 2000. www.ecogrout.com/AdditivesAdmixtures.pdf. Accessed July 6, 2006.

21.

Materials Group, FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation. Accelerating. June 14, 1999. www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/materialsgrp/acclerat.htm. Accessed July 9, 2006.

22.

Geiman

C. M.

Stabilization of Soft Clay Subgrades in Virginia: Phase I Laboratory Study. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, 2005.

23.

Miura

, Horpibulsuk

, and Nagaraj

T. S.

Engineering Behavior of Cement Stabilized Clay at High Water Content. Soils and Foundations, Japanese Geotechnical Society, Vol. 41, No. 5, 2001, pp. 33–45.

24.

Hurley

C. H.

, and Thornburn

T. H.

Sodium Silicate Stabilization of Soils: A Review of the Literature. In Highway Research Record 381, HRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1972, pp. 46–79.