Influence of Cement Clinker and GGBS on the Strength of Dispersive Soil

Abstract

The dispersive soil is a highly erodible soil containing a high percentage of exchangeable sodium ions. In the present work, an attempt has been made to enhance the strength of dispersive soil by adding various proportions of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) (5, 10, and 15%) and cement clinker (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30%), respectively. The combined effect of GGBS and cement clinker on stabilizing dispersive soil is also studied. The soil used in this study is a virgin and identified as a highly dispersive soil by conducting a double hydrometer test. For these purposes, mechanical properties of the various mixes are investigated by the standard Proctor tests, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), and California bearing ratio (CBR). The strength of dispersive soil under UCS is found to increase significantly by adding various proportions of GGBS and cement clinker.