STABILIZATION OF WEAK CLAY SOIL USING NANOCLAY

Nanomaterials are effective technique to improve some behavioural parameters of soil such as strength, permeability, selfrepairing etc. In this project nanoclay is used as additive to overcome the weakness of soil. The weak soil obtained from manavilai is a clay soil. Various amount (1%,2%.3%,4%,5%) of nanoclay were added to study the improvements. Soil compaction test was performed to find the optimum moisture content(12%). Tests were conducted using nanoclay and then without it. The engineering properties of soil is found out by specific gravity test, sieve analysis, atterbergs limit test and proctor compaction test. The mechanical properties of soil is found out by unconfined compressive strength test, direct shear strength test and CBR test. In unconfined compression strength test the maximum yield is obtained at 4% of nanoclay is added. When more than 3% of nanoclay is added the CBR value increases and shear strength value decreases. In this project the optimum mixture design for stabilization of clay soil was selected as 3% of nanoclay.