LIME STABILIZATION USING PRECONDITIONED SOILS

THE SCOPE OF THIS INVESTIGATION WAS TO STUDY THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW METHOD OF BASE CONSTRUCTION USING LIME STABILIZATION WITH A DIFFERENT CONCEPT THAN THE CONVENTIONALLY ACCEPTED ONES. IN THIS CONSTRUCTION METHOD, A FIRST APPLICATION OF LIME IS USED TO CONDITION THE SOIL CONSTITUENTS, A SECOND, TO STABILIZE THE CONDITIONED MATERIAL. THIS NEW METHOD WAS ADOPTED AFTER A STUDY OF DIFFERENT SOIL-LIME PROJECTS AND THEIR LABORATORY TESTS, THE MAIN OBJECTIVE BEING SUBSEQUENT FAILURES AND THEIR REASONS. ALL TESTS, AND FIELD EXPERIENCE, LED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT TO OBTAIN THE DESIRED PROPERTIES OF STABILIZATION WITH THESE TYPES OF SOILS THEY MUST BE TREATED WITH LIME BEFORE BEING STABILIZED AND MUST BE COMPACTED WITHIN 48 TO 72 HR AFTER THE SECOND APPLICATION OF LIME. A FURTHER TIME STUDY OF THE SOIL-LIME REACTION WAS MADE, BASED ON INFORMATION YIELDED BY THE SOIL CHARACTERISTICS TESTS. THESE TESTS REVEALED THAT LIME HAS AN INITIAL REACTION, TAKING PLACE DURING THE FIRST 48 TO 72 HR AFTER MIXING, AND A SECONDARY REACTION, WHICH STARTS AFTER THIS PERIOD AND CONTINUES INDEFINITELY. ALSO, AN INVESTIGATION OF MOISTURE-DENSITY RELATIONS OF SOILS POINTED OUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONDITIONING BEFORE STABILIZATION. CONDITIONED MATERIAL PRODUCED HIGHER DENSITIES AT LOWER MOISTURE CONTENTS AFTER STABILIZATION. /AUTHOR/