An Experimental Investigation on Expansive Soil in Conjunction With Egg Shell Powder and Rock Dust

Abstract

Expansive soils are problematic due to the presence and consequent effect of their clay mineral constituents, which makes them show the volume change characteristics. The expansive and shrinkage behavior makes expansive soils unsuitable for direct engineering application in their natural form. In an effort to make them more practicable for different engineering applications, various additives and techniques are employed to improve the soil properties. Stabilization of soil with lime, cement, bitumen are expensive and therefore they are in need of an economic replacement. Further, replacement of expansive soils with good quality soil is quite uneconomical. The present investigation considers the effect of Egg Shell Powder (ESP) on expansive soil. The ESP Eggshell is a desecrate material from domestic sources such as poultries, hatcheries, homes and fast food hotels. Proper utilization of the ESP in conjunction with soil, if proved effective, could mitigate environmental pollution to larger extent. The Rock Dust (RD) which is being thought of as alternative to sand in the construction field, has been used, in proportion of 10-30%, in combination with optimum content of ESP for deriving maximum advantage of improving the engineering characteristics of soil. The sample of expansive clay has been extracted from Emani village of Duggirala Mandal of Tenali revenue division of Andhra Pradesh. The laboratory tests were conducted to find out the effect of these additives on consistency limits, compaction properties and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) at soaked condition. The purpose of the study is essentially to suggest the optimum combination to practicing engineers for use in various reengineering applications

Influence of Eggshell Ash and Stone Powder on Geotechnical Properties of Expansive Clay in Dukem Town

“…Evidently, the synergistic interaction between ESA and SP demonstrates an even more pronounced capacity for reducing the swelling characteristics inherent in expansive clay. These findings align harmoniously with analogous outcomes in previous studies, as demonstrated by the works of Jain et al [29], Bapiraju and Prasad K [18], Blayi et al [20], and Carlina et al [28].…”

“…This behavior is in line with expectations, as the substitution of clay content with SP, characterized by lower affinity for water molecules, underpins this observed decline. This phenomenon resonates with findings reported by Bapiraju and Prasad K [18] and Blayi et al [20], further underlining the congruence between observed behaviors and prior research in this domain.…”

“…between these particles increases, culminating in the aggregation or flocculation of clay particles. The cumulative impact translates into a perceptible reduction in the plasticity behavior of the expansive soil, aligning with observations from the previous research[18,[26][27][28]. The progressive decrease in the plasticity index, in tandem with rising ESA content, underscores ESA's propensity to promote clamping, flocculation, and coarsening of the soil particles.…”

“…In addition, when 20% SP is applied, the OMC is reduced to 33.93%. This behavior is expected because the clay content of the natural soil has been replaced with SP which has less attraction to water molecules [18,20].…”

“…The realm of research has witnessed numerous scholars delving into the potential of waste materials, including rice husk ash, coffee husk ash, bagasse ash, rock powder, and eggshell powder [16], as stabilizing agents for the improvement of expansive clays and the concurrent reduction of construction costs. A range of contributions [2,6,[17][18][19][20][21][22] have illuminated this avenue. In-depth insights into available stabilization techniques, encompassing both calcium-based and non-calcium-based additives, have been thoughtfully outlined in the comprehensive review presented by Behnood [23].…”