Soil Stabilization using Lime

Soil Stabilization using Lime

Slaked lime is very effective in treating heavy plastic clayey soils. Lime may be used alone or in combination with cement, bitumen or fly ash. Sandy soils can also be stabilized with these combinations. Lime has been mainly used for stabilizing the road bases and the subgrade.

Lime changes the nature of the adsorbed layer and provides pozzolanic action. Plasticity index of highly plastic soils are reduced by the addition of lime with soil. There is an increase in the optimum water content and a decrease in the maximum compacted density and he strength and durability of soil increases.

Normally 2 to 8% of lime may be required for coarse grained soils and 5 to 8% of lime may be required for plastic soils. The amount of fly ash as admixture may vary from 8 to 20% of the weight of the soil.