Experimental Investigation of Lime and Cement Stabilization for Sustainable Pavement Subgrade Applications

Abstract

The subgrade soil strength and stability under pavement structures are important factors affecting pavement structure performance. In this study the efficiency of lime and cement stabilization on compaction and strength properties of locally available loamy sand soil collected from Faridabad, Haryana, India is evaluated. The soil samples were stabilized with lime and cement at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% by dry weight and tested by Standard Proctor Compaction, Direct Shear and Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) tests. The results indicated that both of the stabilizers greatly enhanced the engineering properties of the soil. With the increase in the stabilizer content, the maximum dry density, cohesion and compressive strength increased. Lime improved the soil structure and bonding by means of pozzolanic reactions and cement provided quick strength development and load bearing capacity. The maximum dry density increased from 1.62 g/cc for the untreated soil to 1.76 g/cc for the stabilized soil with UCS value of about 285 kPa. The best performance was observed for stabilizer contents of 10 to 15 %. The results indicate that lime and cement stabilization can be an effective method to improve the performance of loamy sand soils and to provide a practical and sustainable solution in pavement subgrade applications.