Cement Type Effect on Improvement of Clayey Soil Properties

• Published in: ACI materials journal Vol. 115; no. 6; pp. 855 - 866
• Main Authors: Mollamahmutoğlu, Murat, Avcı, Eyubhan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Farmington Hills American Concrete Institute 01.11.2018
• Subjects: Additives; Admixtures; Aluminous cements; Calcium aluminate; Cement hydration; Civil engineering; Clay; Clay soils; Curing; Dry density; Internal friction; Laboratories; Moisture content; Particle size; Plastic limit; Plastic properties; Shear strength; Soil compressibility; Soil improvement; Soil moisture; Soil properties; Sulfate resistance
• ISSN: 0889-325X; 1944-737X
• DOI: 10.14359/51702347

In this paper, some geotechnical properties of low-plasticity clay blended with calcium aluminate cement (CAC) at different contents were investigated and compared with those of sulfate-resistant cement (SRC)-blended low-plasticity clay. As the liquid limits of CAC and SRC-blended low-plasticity clay decreased, their plastic limits increased. Additionally, the liquid limit and the plastic limit of CAC-blended low-plasticity clay were found to be lower than those of SRC-blended low-plasticity clay. The optimum moisture content and maximum dry density of low-plasticity clay were increased by both CAC and SRC agents. Moreover, the optimum moisture content and maximum dry density values of CAC-blended low-plasticity clay were higher than those of SRC-blended low-plasticity clay. The shear strength of low-plasticity clay was also increased with the CAC and SRC additives. The internal friction angles of CAC-blended low-plasticity clay were higher than those of SRC-improved low-plasticity clay under both the wet-cured and air-dried conditions. The cohesion intercepts of CAC-improved low-plasticity clay under both the wet-cured and air-dried conditions were lower than those of SRC-improved low-plasticity clay. The compressibility and swell characteristics of low-plasticity clay were considerably reduced with both CAC and SRC admixtures. However, the swell and compressibility of CAC-blended low-plasticity clay were lower than those of SRC-blended low-plasticity clay. Generally, the CAC agent was more effective than the SRC agent in the improvement of aforementioned low-plasticity clay properties.