Using waste glass powder for stabilizing high-plasticity clay in Erbil city-Iraq

Abstract

Soil is a material most used in the field of civil engineering. High-plasticity clay (CH) in some parts of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, as well as globally, causes noticeable damage to buildings and roads during seasonal changes. In some circumstances, construction on CH cannot be avoided; therefore, soil stabilization is crucial. In this study, waste glasses are collected then crushed and sieved via sieve number 200 (0.075 mm), and the glass powder is mixed with the expansive soil in different percentages: 6%, 12%, 18%, 27%, and 36% of the dry weight of soil. Atterberg limits, standard compaction, unconfined compressive strength, consolidation, and swelling tests are conducted for the soil samples with and without glass powder. According to the test results, the Atterberg limits, maximum dry density, optimum moisture content, unconfined compressive strength, consolidation, and swelling characteristics are improved by adding glass powder as a stabilizer.