FACTORS INFLUENCING SHRINKAGE OF SOIL-CEMENT

Abstract

LINEAR SHRINKAGE OF 2- X 2-IN. DIAMETER MOLDED SOIL-CEMENT SPECIMENS WAS MEASURED AT PRESCRIBED INTERVALS DURING CURING. FOUR SOILS WERE USED' A STANDARD GRADED OTTAWA SAND WITH NO CLAY, AN IOWA DUNE SAND AND AN IOWA LOESS SILT WITH 2.8 AND 16 PERCENT MONTMORILLONITIC CLAY, RESPECTIVELY, AND A NORTH CAROLINA CLAY WITH 30 PERCENT KAOLINITIC CLAY. EFFECTS OF VARYING THE CEMENT CONTENT, INITIAL WATER CONTENT , AND CURING METHOD WERE EVALUATED. RESULTS SHOW NO RELATION BETWEEN TOTAL SHRINKAGE AND CEMENT CONTENT IN THE RANGES INVESTIGATED. THE INITIAL WATER CONTENT HAD SOME EFFECT ON SHRINKAGE OF THE SILT AND THE CLAY BUT NOT OF THE SANDS; COMPACTION BELOW OPTIMUM MOISTURE CONTENT GAVE SLIGHTLY LESS SHRINKAGE. MONTMORILLONITIC CLAY IN A MIX GREATLY INCREASED TOTAL SHRINKAGE, KAOLINITIC CLAY INCREASED SHRINKAGE LESS, AND TOTAL LINEAR SHRINKAGE RAN AS HIGH AS 1 PERCENT. SHRINKAGE OCCURRED MAINLY ON DRYING, AND PROLONGED CURING BEFORE DRYING SLIGHTLY INCREASED TOTAL SHRINKAGE. /AUTHOR/