Lime Stabilization of Expansive Montmorillonite Clays

Abstract

In almost every case when a structure must be built, the final base support must be in the soil. However, not all construction sites will have soil that is able to supply the required bearing capacities for the weight of the structure. There are, essentially, three methods of dealing with such conditions. These are 1) By-Pass: In this case the soil stratas are By-Passed until a firm bearing statum is found below. Support for the structure, then, is provided by friction or end bearing piles which extend to a rock-basalt or similar firm bearing layer. 2) Remove and Replace: Here, the unsatisfactory soil is partially or completely removed and replaced by a suitable material. There are many times when either a soft peat layer or a highly expansive soil is replaced by this suitable material which can be compacted to provide adequate support. This method is especially advantageous if the required material is conveniently located at a nearby site. 3) Treatment of Soil: The third method, of which this report will be concentrating on, is that of chemically or mechanically stabilizing the soil to attain the desired support.