Investigating the effectiveness of quarry dust and cement kiln dust in stabilizing active soil for use in subgrade layers:

Abstract

The construction industry has presented different types of ground improvement techniques to stabilize active soils that exhibit expansive nature i.e. Black Cotton Soils that possess poor subgrade characteristics. Different chemical stabilizers have been used for stabilization of Black Cotton soils. Though Cement is the effective soil stabilizing material, stabilizing soils with Cement alone would not be economically viable as Cement is relatively expensive. Hence this research work aimed at investigating the effectiveness of blending Granite Quarry Dust and Cement Kiln Dust on the physical and strength characteristics of black cotton soil. The neat Black cotton soil samples were modified (blended with SQD and CKD) by varying proportions of the stabilizers. The soils were mixed with SQD in concentrations of 0%, 30%, 40% and 50% by dry weight of the soil and each of these was combined with varying proportions of CKD of 0%, 2%, 4% and 6% respectively by dry weight of the soil. The laboratory results were analysed based on the effect of the additives in comparison with the engineering properties of the native and modified soils. This was achieved by conducting the following tests: free swell, sieve analysis, Atterberg’s limits, compaction and CBR tests. It was observed that soil stabilized with the combination of Quarry Dust and Cement mixture showed a significant improvement in strength parameters and a substantial decrease in the plasticity index and swelling potential since the mixes of the two additives act as a ‘CementMortar’.