A Review on Stabilization of Expansive Soil Using Different Methods

Abstract

Expansive soils are difficult soils for construction purposes because of their cyclic swell/shrink behavior. These soils undergo significant expansion when subjected to an increase in water content or shrink under evaporation condition (when water out). Bulging soils can be improved in several ways. Either by  adding  materials such as cement, lime, sand and adding river mixture soil. or these soils treated with chemical additives. When added to expansive soils in the proper quantities, these materials aim to improve engineering properties of soils such (i.e. texture , strength, plasticity, etc.).  In addition to these traditional materials, solid wastes were also used as one of the stabilization methods (non-traditional methods) to improve the engineering characteristics of expansive soils and to make these soils suitable in construction. From the geotechnical engineering perspective, fly ash, quarry waste, silica fume, cement kiln dust, tire rubber, rice husk, etc. represent the waste materials having effectual features required by excellent soil admixtures. Soils stabilization by using these wastes are one of the different methods of treatment to improve soils geotechnical properties and make them more suitable for construction. Different stabilization methods were reviewed and discussed in the present paper.