Soil Stabilization and Compaction

Soil Stabilization refers to any treatment of the soil which renders it more stable. In Engineering construction, stabilization is most referred to when compaction is preceded by the addition and mixing of an inexpensive admixture, termed as stabilization agent, which alters the chemical makeup of the soil, resulting in a more stable material.

Method of Stabilizing Soils

1. Blending and mixing heterogeneous soils produce more homogeneous soils. Blending could be done either in the borrow pit with the use of a Power Shovel or at project site with the use of a Disk Harrow or a Graded.

2. Stabilizing Soils with Lime. Lime is added to the soil such as clays and silty clays will rapidly cause cation exchange and flocculation/agglomeration, provided it is intimately mixed with the soil. The clay type soil will behave much more like a silt-type soil. The observed effect in the field is of drying action that can be realized in a few days.

3. Blending Asphalt with Soil. When asphalts, such as an emulsion or cutback, are mixed with granular soil, this treatment will produce a much more durable sand stable soil.

4. Cement-Soil Stabilization. Mixing Portland cement with soil is an effective method of strengthening certain soils which are granular and with only minor amounts of clay particles. Portland cement is distributed uniformly over the surface of the soil, then mixing it into the soil, preferably with a pulverizer-type machine, to the specified depth, following by fine grading and compaction and also sprinkling of water.

5. Soil Compaction. A widely used method for soil strengthening for use as a subgrade under a pavement structure.

6. Incorporating Various Salts into the Soil.
7. Incorporating certain Chemicals into the Soil.


Compaction
Compaction is attained by applying energy to a soil by one or more of the following methods.

1. Kneading action
2. Static Weight
3. Vibration
4. Impact.
5. Explosives.

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