EVALUATION OF SAND-CLAY MIXTURE STABILIZED WITH HYDRATED LIME FOR BACKFILL APPLICATION IN EARTH RETAINING STRUCTURES
Abstract
The clay's tendency to expand and contract with changes in moisture levels makes it difficult to use as backfill material. This study explores the potential of using sand and hydrated lime as stabilizing agents to address this trend. Clay was mixed with the right amount of sand and with hydrated lime at 0, 5, and 10% weight of clay. The sand-clay mixture stabilized with hydrated lime was subjected to an experimental procedure to access the strength, permeability, and proper compaction under British Standard Heavy (BSH) and British Standard Light (BSL) compaction efforts. The engineering properties of sand-clay mixtures were significantly enhanced by the inclusion of hydrated lime. The free swell index decreased significantly, approaching minimal levels, while the unconfined compressive strength notably rose, surpassing 200% in different mixtures. Both the cohesion and internal friction angle showed significant improvements. While the addition of hydrated lime slightly lowered the maximum dry density and permeability, the adjusted values still exceeded those of untreated clay and fell within the suitable range for compacted backfill. The use of hydrated lime also led to a significant decrease in active lateral pressure in untreated clay and sand-clay mixtures, improving stability through reduction of lateral pressure. Overall, a mixture of 50% sand and 5% hydrated lime shows the most effective option for stabilizing clay as backfill material in earth retaining structures during compaction for BSL and BSH projects.
KEYWORDS: Backfill material, Earth retaining structures, Optimal mixture, Sand-clay suitability, Compaction effort
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