EFFECTIVENESS OF GRANULATED BLAST FURNACE SLAG OVER SAND AS OVERLAY FOR THE STABILIZATION OF SOFT CLAY

Abstract

The effectiveness of granulated blast furnace slag (GBS) and natural sand as overlay for the stabilization of the soft clay bed has been studied by small-scale model tests in the laboratory. The test beds were subjected to transverse loading by a rigid strip footing. Footing load and footing settlement on the fill surface have been measured during the tests. The influence of GBS and natural sand layer on the overall performance of the system has been systematically studied through a series of tests. The test results indicate that with the provision of GBS and natural sand in soft clay a substantial improvement can be obtained in terms of increase in the bearing capacity ratio and reduction in the footing settlement. 89% and 114 % increase in the bearing capacity of the strip footing can be obtained by laying the GBS and natural sand layer respectively above the soft clay. As compared to GBS bed only 14 % increase in bearing capacity observed of the sand bed overlay on soft clay.