Evaluation of the long-term effect of lime treatment on a silty soil embankment after seven years of atmospheric exposure: Mechanical, physicochemical, and microstructural studies

Hydromechanical and Pore-Structure Evolution in Lime-Treated Kneading Compacted Soil

“…The compaction characteristics of the soil were similar to the one reported by Das et al (2020), which were obtained as per ASTM D698-91 (ASTM 2012) before the construction of the embankment. The maximum dry density and optimum moisture content (OMC) of untreated soil were 18.4 kN/m 3 and 14.3%, respectively, and for 2.5% lime-treated soil were 17.1 kN/m 3 and 18.5%, respectively.…”

“…This study involves the use of in-situ sampled soil from a 7 year environmentally cured experimental embankment, which was built with 2.5% quicklime treated Marche-Les-Dames (MLD, Belgium) silty soil. Details regarding the sampling procedure and layout of sampling depths were reported in Das et al (2020). Compacted specimens in the form of blocks and loose materials were obtained at a depth of 0.30m and 0.75m from the slope of the experimental embankment, i.e., specimens were sampled from the core of the embankment.…”

“…In this context, improvement of the engineering properties of natural soil by chemical stabilization using lime was shown to be an efficient and effective process (Bell 1996;Little 1995). In addition to chemical stabilization, mechanical improvement, which involves the implementation of control mixing and compaction conditions by incorporating appropriate water content, binder amount, compaction energy, and compaction mechanism, was also important (Das et al 2020(Das et al , 2021Le Runigo et al 2009, 2011Makki-Szymkiewicz et al 2015).…”

“…The present literature provides several laboratories (Bell 1996;Das et al 2021) and few field studies evidencing the improvement brought in the soil through lime treatment. One such field study was recently reported by Das et al (2020). Das et al (2020) reported the long-term effect of lime treatment on the compressive strength, physicochemical and microstructural modification on specimens sampled from an experimental embankment, which has been exposed to the external atmosphere for 7 years.…”

“…One such field study was recently reported by Das et al (2020). Das et al (2020) reported the long-term effect of lime treatment on the compressive strength, physicochemical and microstructural modification on specimens sampled from an experimental embankment, which has been exposed to the external atmosphere for 7 years. A significant evolution of average UCS of 3.29 ± (0.45) MPa was reported in core-sampled soil.…”