Evaluation of Strength and Compressibility Properties of Laterite Soil Blended with Quarry Dust and Cement

Abstract

Lateritic soils are known to have very poor geotechnical properties such as high plasticity, poor workability, low strength, high permeability, tendency to retain moisture and high natural moisture content. The purpose of this research work was to evaluate the stabilization and engineering behaviour of laterite using Quarry Dust (QD) and cement. Various laboratory geotechnical tests were carried out to determine the index properties in order to classify the soil sample and the preliminary investigations showed that the soil belongs to the A-7-6 class of soil in the AASHTO classification system. Other tests include Specific Gravity, Grain Size Distribution, Moisture Content, Compaction characteristics, Maximum Dry Density (MDD), Optimum Moisture Content (OMC), California Bearing Ratio (CBR), Triaxial and Consolidation of the treated natural soil. The soil was stabilized with concentrations of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of quarry dust and 1%, 3% and 5% of cement. Analysis showed that the highest Specific Gravity occurred at 15% Quarry Dust and 5% Cement. Result also showed that the stabilizers increased the maximum dry density and decreased the optimum moisture content of the soil with the highest MDD occurring at 15% Quarry Dust and 5% cement while the OMC occurred at 5% Quarry Dust and 5% cement. The values of cohesion (triaxial test) and California bearing ratio increased when the percentages of quarry dust and cement were increased with the highest CBR and cohesion occurring at 20% quarry dust and 5% cement respectively. Both stabilizers when combined enhanced the geotechnical property of the soil.