EFFECT OF COMPACTION DELAY ON THE STRENGTH OF CEMENT STABILISED LATERITIC SOIL

Abstract

Soil stabilisation is a major technique in enhancing the engineering properties of Lateritic soil. There is need to investigate the effect of scenarios when there is elapsed time between when the soil-cement is mixed and when it is spread and compacted. Therefore, this study focussed on the influence of this compaction delay on the engineering properties of cement-stabilised lateritic soil. The lateritic soil was stabilised with 1.5, 3.0, 4.5 and 6.0% cement by weight of soil. The mixture of the soil-cement was left for elapsed time of 1, 3, and 5 h. The natural, stabilised and the stabilised soils with compaction delay were subjected to Sieve analysis, LL, PL. BSL, WAS and AASHTO compaction, UCS and CBR tests. The natural soil was suitable for highway construction except for base course. The MDD of the stabilised soil decrease while the MDD, UCS and CBR increase with increase in cement content. The optimal cement content for the A-2-4(0) soil is 4.5% and the effect of the compaction delay was more prominent after 2 h elapsed time.