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Plasticity, strength, permeability and compressibility characteristics of black cotton soil stabilized with precipitated silica

  • Geological, Civil, Energy and Traffic Engineering
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Abstract

The suitability of using precipitated silica (PS) from the burning of rice husk was investigated to improve the geotechnical engineering properties of a black cotton soil. A laboratory experimental program consisting of series of specific gravity, Atterberg limits, compaction, California bearing ratio (CBR), unconfined compression and consolidation tests was conducted on the untreated and PS treated soil samples. The application of PS to the soil significantly changed its properties by reducing its plasticity and making it more workable, improving its soaked strength, and increasing its permeability and the rate at which the soil gets consolidated. An optimal PS content of 50%, which provided the highest soaked strength, is recommended for the improvement of the subgrade characteristics of the BC soil for use as a pavement layer material.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. VIT University, Vellore, India

    R. Gobinath

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Jay Shriram Group of Institutions, Tiruppur, India

    R. Gobinath, S. Kovendiran, S. Hema & M. Thangaraj

  3. Centre for Disaster Mitigation and Management, VIT University, Vellore, India

    G. P. Ganapathy

  4. Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria

    I. I. Akinwumi

Authors
  1. R. Gobinath
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  2. G. P. Ganapathy
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  3. I. I. Akinwumi
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  4. S. Kovendiran
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  5. S. Hema
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  6. M. Thangaraj
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Correspondence to R. Gobinath.

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Gobinath, R., Ganapathy, G.P., Akinwumi, I.I. et al. Plasticity, strength, permeability and compressibility characteristics of black cotton soil stabilized with precipitated silica. J. Cent. South Univ. 23, 2688–2694 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-016-3330-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-016-3330-7

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