Feasibility of flyash based geopolymer for soil stabilization

Abstract

Soil stabilization is the process of enhancing the soil properties and making it fit for engineered purposes. The common stabilizing techniques are becoming expensive day by day due to the rise in cost of stabilizing agents which forces to find an alternative economical stabilizing agent. Thus this study aims to improve the properties of the soil by adding the waste materials like flyash and geopolymers as stabilizing agents. The soil compressive strength and water absorption for different alkaline solution to solid ratio were studied by casting stabilized soil blocks. The solid here is represented by the mixture of red soil and flyash. It was evident from the Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) tests that as the alkaline solution to solid ratio increases, the compressive strength also increases. Optimum ratio of 0.2 was selected based on the workability conditions. It was observed that soil blocks show a decrease in 13 per cent strength than the UCS test samples prepared from the same ratio. It is evident to conclude that allowing a tolerance of 1 per cent variation, the strength of the soil blocks will remain in constrain of 12 to 15 per cent of the UCS sample test value.