Improvement of Properties of Expansive Soil using Terrazyme

Abstract

Enzymatic emulsions contain enzymes that react with soil molecules to form a cementing bond that stabilizes the soil structure and reduces the soil’s affinity for water. When the bio-enzymes like Terrazyme, are mixed with soil they alter its engineering properties. When added to a soil, the enzymes increases the wetting and bonding capacity of the soil particles and improves the chemical bonding between soil particles and creating a more permanent structure that is more resistant to weathering, water penetration and wear and tear. They bond soil particles together and so reduce dust generation. At higher application rates, enzymatic emulsions can be used to stabilize soils. When applied and compacted properly, the treated soil can be stabilized to form a dense, firm to hard, water-resistant bound layer that can be used as a road surfacing. The paper presents the improvement of expansive soil properties like California bearing ratio (CBR), unconfined compressive strength (UCC) and co-efficient of permeability, stabilized with the commercially available bio-enzyme, Terrazyme.