An Experimental Study on Partial Replacement of Clayey Soil with an Industrial Effluent: Stabilization of Soil Subgrade

Abstract

Rapid growth of infrastructure viz., construction of highways, embankments limits the construction on varied soil conditions. The construction sites at times pass through weak/expansive soils. In order to overcome weak and problematic sub grade world over, soil stabilization becomes inevitable. In this connection, mechanical stabilization of clayey soils is explored with partial replacement by Vitrified Tiles Sludge (VTS), an industrial waste. In this experimental study, expansive soils samples are collected from Palakol town in the West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, India. The experiments showed significant volume changes in the soil with a change in water content, corresponding decrease in strength and significant increase in compressibility. The current experimental investigation studies the variation in the geotechnical characteristics of expansive soil modified with sludge formed by crushing vitrified tiles (VTS) in aqueous medium. Our study reveals that there is a significant decrease in compressibility characteristics of the clay with an increase in the proportion of vitrified tile sludge. The composite soil proves to be good construction material for construction of various civil engineering structures such as embankment, earthen dams, and runways wherever the decrease in swelling and plasticity are the real targets.