Bio-Modification—An Emerging Ground Improvement Technique

Abstract

Ground improvement aims at enhancing the existing mechanical properties of soil, and hence, increases its potential as a construction material. The conventional means used for improving soil properties are classified as mechanical and chemical methods. The different materials used under these methods comprises of lime, fly ash, construction and demolition waste, chlorides and so on. With the advancement in technology and lack of locally available resources, a new mechanism termed as bio-modification has been gaining importance in this field. The bio-enzymes are used for modification of soil properties in this method. In the current paper, bio-modification has been performed on laterite soil and variations in engineering properties observed are reported. The significance of curing periods and varying dosages on bio-modification of soil has also been studied and results compared. It is also proposed to compare and analyse the effect of different types of stabilization on strength characteristics of laterite soil, from the available literature. Based on the analysis, it was comprehended that curing is an important parameter that contributes to increase in desirable properties of stabilized soil during ground improvement. However, cost and availability play an important role in the choice of appropriate stabilizer.