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Geotechnical characterization of a clay–cement mix

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Abstract

Soft clay deposits are highly plastic, normally consolidated fine grained soils characterized by their low inherent shear strength. The mixing of soft clays with cement as a chemical stabilizer has become a well-known stabilization technique. The resulting strength of the clay–cement mix is controlled by different factors, but mainly the water to cement ratio, the cement content, and the curing conditions. It is crucial to develop a clear understanding of the changes in engineering behavior of the clay–cement mix that result from changes in controlling factors. A phase diagram was established to define the initial conditions of the mass–volume relationships of air, cement, clay, and water of a typical clay–cement mix. This phase diagram was then used to determine the total dry density, void ratio, and specific gravity of the clay–cement mix as a function of the cement content and water to cement ratio. The main objective of this work was to develop generalized trends for the geotechnical properties of clay–cement mixes. These trends were evaluated based on unconfined compressive strength as well as consistency tests carried out on soft clay samples before and after mixing with cement and at different curing times. A reduction in the plasticity index (PI) of 16 % and an increase in the unconfined shear strength of more than 200 kPa were obtained from the addition of 15 % cement. The reduction in the PI of the clay–cement mix was found to be an efficient tool to represent the improvement in the strength of the clay after mixing with cement.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of Dr. Hani Lotfi and Dr. Manal A. Salem of Geotechnical Engineering, Cairo University, and thank them for their great support during the course of obtaining some of the results presented in this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Systems Engineering, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada

    Ramy Saadeldin

  2. AMEC Environment and Infrastructure, Regina, SK, S4N 4Y1, Canada

    Ramy Saadeldin

  3. School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC, Canada

    Sumi Siddiqua

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  1. Ramy Saadeldin
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  2. Sumi Siddiqua
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Correspondence to Ramy Saadeldin.

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Saadeldin, R., Siddiqua, S. Geotechnical characterization of a clay–cement mix. Bull Eng Geol Environ 72, 601–608 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-013-0531-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-013-0531-2

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