Stabilization of poor soils subjected to large daily temperature variations requires careful selection of suitable stabilizer for improvement of such soils. This study investigated the freeze-thaw resistance of an alluvial soil stabilized with EcoSand and asbestos-free fiber powder (AFP). Physical and mechanical properties of the soil were determined. The soil sample was stabilized with 5 variants of equal mixtures of the EcoSand and AFP in proportions of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10%, with 1% sodium silicate and 1% fly ash, by weight of the soil. UCS tests were conducted before and after three freeze-thaw cycles, while keeping the sample at 0ºC for 8 hours and later at 30ºC for 8 hours for each cycle. It was found that the 8% EcoSand + AFP with 1% sodium silicate and 1% fly ash content provided an optimized increase of the freeze-thaw resistance of the soil. The use of a mixture of EcoSand and AFP as a soil stabilizer for regions of the world experiencing large temperature variation has the potential to improve the resistance of sand to freezing and thawing

Akinwumi, I. I.

Arun, M.

Ashwin, K.R.N.

Gobinath, R

Krishnaraj, T.

Mithuna, R.

Sasikumar, S.

Covenant University Repository

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMATICS AND GEOSCIENCES   Volume 7, No 4, 2017  © Copyright by the authors - Licensee IPA- Under Creative Commons license 3.0 Research article                                                                                                                 ISSN   0976 – 4380       Submitted on November 2016 published on May 2017                                                                                       352                                                                                                                   Freeze-thaw Resistance of an Alluvial Soil Stabilized with EcoSand and Asbestos-free Fiber Powder Ashwin, K.R.N.1, Arun, M.1, Sasikumar, S.1, Krishnaraj, T.1, Mithuna, R.1, Gobinath, R.2, Akinwumi, I. I.3 1. Undergraduate Student, Jay Shriram Group of Institutions, Tirupur, Tamilnadu, India 2. Professor, Jay Shriram Group of Institutions, Tirupur, Tamilnadu, India 3. Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria mithunaramesh15@gmail.com  ABSTRACT  Stabilization of poor soils subjected to large daily temperature variations requires careful selection of suitable stabilizer for improvement of such soils. This study investigated the freeze-thaw resistance of an alluvial soil stabilized with EcoSand and asbestos-free fiber powder (AFP). Physical and mechanical properties of the soil were determined. The soil sample was stabilized with 5 variants of equal mixtures of the EcoSand and AFP in proportions of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10%, with 1% sodium silicate and 1% fly ash, by weight of the soil. UCS tests were conducted before and after three freeze-thaw cycles, while keeping the sample at 0ºC for 8 hours and later at 30ºC for 8 hours for each cycle. It was found that the 8% EcoSand + AFP with 1% sodium silicate and 1% fly ash content provided an optimized increase of the freeze-thaw resistance of the soil. The use of a mixture of EcoSand and AFP as a soil stabilizer for regions of the world experiencing large temperature variation has the potential to improve the resistance of sand to freezing and thawing.  Keywords: Freeze-thaw test, soil stabilization, soil improvement, waste management.  1. Introduction  Soil stabilization has become one of the most investigated soil improvement techniques by researchers (Akinwumi, 2014; Gobinath et al., 2015; Ganapathy et al., 2017). The suitability of using various materials, such as marble dust (Akinwumi and Booth, 2015), precipitated silica (Gobinath et al., 2016), corncob ash (Akinwumi and Aidomojie, 2015) and reclaimed asphalt (Akinwumi, 2014), as soil stabilizers have been investigated. However, only a few studies have considered the effect of temperature variation on the stabilization of soils. The weather of a place influences the durability of any stabilized layer of soil in that place. When temperature variation becomes large such that a stabilized layer of soil experiences freezing and thawing daily, there is need to consider resistance to freezing and thawing, while selecting appropriate material to use as a stabilizer of the soil.   This research work aimed at investigating the effect of stabilizing an alluvial soil with EcoSand and asbestos-free fiber powder (AFP) on the freeze-thaw resistance of the soil. This is particularly important because freeze-thaw cycle in cold regions of the world influence the physical and mechanical properties of soils in agricultural or ecological environment. For instance, during seasonal cycles of freezing and thawing, water within the pore spaces of a soil expands and contracts. Soil stabilization can provide sufficient stability for earthwork structures to resist unfavorable weather conditions.  Freeze-thaw Resistance of an Alluvial Soil Stabilized with EcoSand and Asbestos-free Fiber Powder Ashwin et al. International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences Volume 7 Issue 4, 2017 3532. Materials and Methods  Asbestos is a material known for its resistance to heat, thermal insulation and tensile strength. Its high toxicity, being carcinogenic, made it banned in some countries of the world. Consequently, AFP, which is more environmentally- and public health- friendly, was mixed with EcoSand for stabilization of the alluvial soil. EcoSand is an organic amendment of natural zeolite used to add fertility to soils and it was reported that it does not decompose (Zeo, 2013). EcoSand, sodium silicate and fly ash were commercially procured for use for this research work. The alluvial soil was collected from Dharapuram, Tamilnadu, India near the Amaravathi river bank.   The specific gravity, Atterberg limits, compaction characteristics, unconfined compressive strength, consolidation, triaxial strength and permeability tests on the soil were determined following the procedures of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) (1971, 1973, 1980, 1985, 1986).  EcoSand and AFP were mixed in equal proportions and added to the soil in varying percentages of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10%, by weight of the soil. Also, a mixture of 1% sodium silicate and 1% fly ash, by weight of the soil was added to all the variant of the stabilized soil.  To determine the freeze-thaw resistance of the soil and the stabilized soil, UCS were determined before and after subjecting each sample to three (3) freeze-thaw cycles. Each freeze-thaw cycle was obtained by keeping the sample at 0ºC for 8 hours and later at 30ºC for 8 hours.   3. Results and Discussion   The physical and mechanical properties of the alluvial soil are presented in Table 1. The soil has a specific gravity of 2.66. It is of low plasticity and strength. It has a high coefficient of permeability. The grain size distribution of soil was determined by sieve analysis. The result of the analysis of particle sizes of the soil is presented in Figure 1.  Table 1: Physical and Geotechnical Properties of the Alluvial Soil Properties Result Standard adopted Specific gravity 2.66 BIS 2720 (iii):1980 Uniformity coefficient  (Cu) 2.66 BIS 2720 (iv):1985 Coefficient of curvature  (Cc) 0.806 BIS 2720 (iv):1985 Liquid limit 26.60% BIS 2720 (v):1985 Plastic limit 23% BIS 2720 (v):1985 Plasticity index 3.6% BIS 2720 (v):1985 Maximum dry unit weight 21.43 kN/m3 BIS 2720(vii):1980 OMC 13% BIS 2720(vii):1980 Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) 46.85 kN/m2 BIS 2720 (x):1973 Triaxial 31.40 kN/m2 BIS 2720(xi):1971 Consolidation 0.001 cm2/sec BIS 2720 (xv):1986 Permeability test - Constant head  0.0091 cm/s BIS 2720(xvii):1986 Degree of Saturation 47.35%  Freeze-thaw Resistance of an Alluvial Soil Stabilized with EcoSand and Asbestos-free Fiber Powder Ashwin et al. International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences Volume 7 Issue 4, 2017 354 Figure 1: Grain size distribution curve of the alluvial soil  Figure 1 shows that the alluvial soil is predominantly sand. A large proportion of the sand is within the fine sand particle size range. The variation of the dry density of the unstabilized and stabilized soil samples with their water contents are presented in Figure 2.    10 12 14 16 1820212223Dry unit weight (kN/m3)Moisture content (%) Unstabilized soil 2% EcoSand + AFP 4% EcoSand + AFP 6% EcoSand + AFP 8% EcoSand + AFP 10% EcoSand + AFP Figure 2: Optimum moisture content and Maximum Dry Density of the unstabilized and stabilized soil  Freeze-thaw Resistance of an Alluvial Soil Stabilized with EcoSand and Asbestos-free Fiber Powder Ashwin et al. International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences Volume 7 Issue 4, 2017 355Figure 2 shows that the stabilization of the soil with 4% EcoSand + AFP gave the least maximum dry unit weight (MDUW) of 20.5 kN/m3 and the highest optimum moisture content, whereas the stabilization of the soil with 10% EcoSand + AFP gave the greatest MDUW of 22.2 kN/m3.The unstabilized soil has an MDUW of 21.42 kN/m3.   The stress-strain relationship of the unstabilized and stabilized soil samples are presented in Figure 3.  0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0050100150200250300350Stress (kN/m2)Strain (%) 2% EcoSand + AFP 4% EcoSand + AFP 6% EcoSand + AFP 8% EcoSand + AFP 10% EcoSand + AFP Figure 3: Stress-Strain relationship of the stabilized soil  It shows that the soil stabilized with 8% EcoSand + AFP, which gave the maximum strength of the stabilization variants, has a strength of 32.48 N/cm2 and a strain of 2%. The 2% EcoSand + AFP has the minimum strength of 12.36 N/cm2 and a strain of 2%.   The UCS of the unstabilized and stabilized soil samples before and after being subjected to freeze-thaw cycles are presented in Figure 4.  Figure 4 shows that the stabilization of the soil with 8% EcoSand + AFP content presented the greatest resistance to weather as simulated by the freeze-thaw cycles. During the freeze-thaw cycles, water within the pore spaces of the soil expands and contracts repeatedly to induce stresses on the internal structure of the soil. The cementation of the soil particles, brought about by the application of increasing percentage of the mixture of EcoSand and AFP, helped to minimize the effect of the freezing and thawing until 8% EcoSand + AFP was applied.    Freeze-thaw Resistance of an Alluvial Soil Stabilized with EcoSand and Asbestos-free Fiber Powder Ashwin et al. International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences Volume 7 Issue 4, 2017 3560 2 4 6 8 10050100150200250300Unconfined Compressive Strength (kN/m2)EcoSand + AFP  content (%)  The Figure 4: UCS of the stabilized soil after being subjected to freeze-thaw cycles   4. Conclusion   This study was aimed at investigating the effect of stabilizing an alluvial soil with EcoSand and AFP on the freeze-thaw resistance of the soil. Sodium silicate (1%) and fly ash (1%) were added to the soil and stabilized soil in order to contribute to the cementation of the particles of the soil. The alluvial soil was classified as sand. Its fine-grained content is of low plasticity. The stress-strain relationship of the stabilized soil showed that the soil stabilized with 8% EcoSand + AFP with 1% sodium silicate and 1% fly ash produced the greatest strength of the stabilized soil.   The resistance of the stabilized soil to freeze-thaw generally increased as the percentage of % EcoSand + AFP increased. The optimum stabilizer mix content that produced the greatest freeze-thaw resistance is 8% EcoSand + AFP. This optimum stabilizer mix improved the freeze-thaw resistance of the soil by 503.8%. The use of a mixture of EcoSand and AFP as a soil stabilizer for regions of the world experiencing large temperature variation has the potential to improve the resistance of sand to freezing and thawing.   References   1. Akinwumi, I. I.  (2014), Soil modification by the application of steel slag, Periodica Polytechnica Civil Engineering, 58(4), pp 371–377. Freeze-thaw Resistance of an Alluvial Soil Stabilized with EcoSand and Asbestos-free Fiber Powder Ashwin et al. International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences Volume 7 Issue 4, 2017 3572. Akinwumi, I. I., (2014), Plasticity, strength and permeability of reclaimed asphalt pavement and lateritic soil blends, International journal of scientific and engineering research, 5(6), pp 631–636. 3. Akinwumi, I. I., Aidomojie, O. I., (2015), Effect of corncob ash on the geotechnical properties of lateritic soil stabilized with Portland cement, International journal of geomatics and geosciences, 5(3), pp 375–392. 4. Akinwumi, I. I., Booth, C. A., (2015). Experimental Insights of using waste marble fines to modify the geotechnical properties of a lateritic soil, Journal of environmental engineering and landscape management, 23(2), pp 121–128. 5. BIS 1971. Methods of test for soils: Determination of triaxial strength (first revision), IS 2720: Part 11. New Delhi: Bureau of Indian Standards. 6. BIS 1973. Methods of test for soils: Determination of unconfined compressive strength (first revision), IS 2720: Part 10. New Delhi: Bureau of Indian Standards. 7. BIS 1980. Methods of test for soils: Determination of water content-dry density relation using light compaction (second revision), IS 2720: Part 7. New Delhi: Bureau of Indian Standards. 8. BIS 1985. Methods of test for soils: Determination of liquid limit and plastic limit (second revision), IS 2720: Part 5. New Delhi: Bureau of Indian Standards. 9. BIS 1986. Methods of test for soils: Determination of consolidation (second revision), IS 2720: Part 15. New Delhi: Bureau of Indian Standards. 10. Ganapathy, G. P., Gobinath, R., Akinwumi, I. I., Kovendiran, S., Thangaraj, M., Lokesh, N.,  Muhamed Anas, S., Arul murugan, R., Yogeswaran, P., Hema, S. (2017). Bio-enzymatic stabilization of a soil having poor engineering properties, International journal of civil engineering, 15(3), pp 401–409. 11. Gobinath, R., Ganapathy, G. P., Akinwumi, I. I., (2015), Evaluating the use of lemon grass roots for the reinforcement of a landslide-affected soil from Nilgris district, Tamil Nadu, India, Journal of materials and environmental science, 6(10), pp 2681–2687. 12. Gobinath, R., Ganapathy, G. P., Akinwumi, I. I., Kovendiran, S., Hema, S., Thangaraj, M. (2016), Plasticity, strength, permeability and compressibility characteristics of black cotton soil stabilized with precipitated silica, Journal of central south university, 23(10), pp 2688–2694. 13. Zeo (2013). EcoSand® organic soil amendment. Retrieved from http://zeoinc.com//wp-content/uploads/2013/12/es_brochure_print.pdf, accessed: 11/05/2017. 

Freeze-thaw Resistance of an Alluvial Soil Stabilized with EcoSand and Asbestos-free Fiber Powder

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Freeze-thaw Resistance of an Alluvial Soil Stabilized with EcoSand and Asbestos-free Fiber Powder

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