EFFECT OF LIME ON VOLUME CHANGE AND COMPRESSIBILITY OF EXPANSIVE CLAYS

Abstract

Heave and settlement of clayey soils pose a difficult problem to civil engineers. Several methods are usually suggested to control this problem. The most common method is the addition of stabilizing agents, such as lime. An evaluation of the soil-lime system for two soils typical of the highly expansive soils existing in Irbid city in northern Jordan is presented. The lime was added to the soils at 0 to 9 or 12%. The soil-lime specimens were cured for 1 hr, 7 days, and 28 days, after which they were subjected to laboratory tests. The properties obtained were the grain size distribution, consistency limits, chemical composition, swell potential, swell pressure, compression and rebound indices, rate of swell and consolidation, immediate settlement, and primary consolidation as percent of total settlement. Generally, lime is found to be most effective in stabilizing heave and settlement of expansive clays.