Compressive Strength Improvement of Stabilized Peat Soil by Pond Ash - Hydrated Lime Admixture

Abstract

Rapid development in Malaysia has led to urban development encroaching into the peat land area. Nevertheless, the physical properties of peat which is regarded as a problematic ground has prompted many studies on various methods of stabilization. The used of byproduct material then become a need for a sustainable environment. This paper presents the results of the unconfined compressive test of stabilized peat by admixture method. A constant composition of pond ash as byproduct material (10%) and three different contents of hydrated lime (2%, 4% and 8%) were mixed together with peat respectively. The samples were prepared in the mould and allowed for curing under 0, 14 and 28 days before the test. The experimental results demonstrated that the compressive strength and stiffness of the stabilized peat increases with the hydrated lime content and also with curing time. It indicates that the mixed of pond ash and hydrated lime can promote a better compressive strength of peat, hence become a potential admixture for stabilizing the peat.