The low bearing capacity and high erosion potential of calcareous soils are major concerns in marine environments. Lime stabilization is one of the earliest and most widely used methods for improving the mechanical properties of these weak deposits. Nonetheless, the significant amount of air pollution and high energy consumption associated with lime production have led researchers to the exploration of alternative strategies, such as the utilization of supplementary materials to partially replace lime in the stabilization process. In this study, the mechanical behavior of calcareous sand specimens stabilized with 4%, 6%, and 8% of hydrated lime and zeolite-to-lime replacement proportions of 0%, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, and 75% was examined through a comprehensive set of unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) tests. The specimens were also subjected to consecutive wetting and drying cycles so that the effects of hydrated lime and zeolite proportions on the durability characteristics of treated calcareous sands were discussed. Results indicated that, in all lime contents, the UCS and constrained modulus (D) of treated samples reached their peak values when lime was substituted with zeolite at an optimum percentage of 60%. Additionally, it was observed that after four and eight wet-dry cycles, the optimum zeolite replacement ratio decreased to 45% and 30%, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests were also conducted to achieve a better understanding of the microstructural changes in calcareous sands due to the stabilization with hydrated lime and zeolite.

Several methods have been used over time to improve the mechanical properties of fine-grained soils. One of the recently introduced materials for soil stabilization is incinerated sewage sludge ash (ISSA). This material is a by-product of the wastewater treatment process that is usually disposed of during the treatment cycle. This paper investigated the effects of adding the optimum amount of ISSA and a mixture of ISSA with hydrated lime (IL) on the mechanical properties of dispersive fine-grained soil. The effects of curing time on the UCS was also evaluated. The Mohr-Coulomb failure envelope parameters of the mixtures were subsequently estimated based on the performed test results using the Consoli et al (J Mater Civ Eng 27(5):04014174, 2015) method which eliminates the need to perform triaxial tests. The results indicated that ISSA and IL can improve the mechanical characteristics of the dispersive soil effectively and that curing time was substantial for better performance of the treated soil. Finally, the application of the Consoli and others method to predict the failure envelope parameters of the treated soil was evaluated using triaxial tests. The comparison of the results proved the suitability of the proposed method to estimate the failure envelope parameters of the ISSA and IL-treated dispersive soil.

This paper investigates the effect of subgrade soil stabilization on the performance and life extension of flexible pavements. Several variables affecting soil stabilization were considered, including subgrade soil type (CL or CH), additive type and content (3, 6, and 9% of hydrated lime, 5, 10, and 15% of class C fly ash (CFA), and 5, 10, and 15% of cement kiln dust (CKD)), three stabilization thicknesses (15, 30, and 45 cm), and four pavement sections with varying thicknesses. The effects of these variables were investigated using four different damage mechanisms, including the fatigue life of the asphalt concrete (AC) and stabilized subgrade layers, the crushing life of the stabilized subgrade soil, and the rutting life of the pavement, using a non-linear mechanistic-empirical methodology. The results suggest that the optimum percentage that maximizes the pavement life occurs at 3% of lime for subgrade soil type CL, 6% of lime for subgrade type CH, and 15% of CFA and CKD for both subgrade soil types. The maximum pavement life increase occurred in the with the lowest thickness and the highest stabilization thickness, which was 1890% for 3% of lime in the CL subgrade and 568% for 6% of lime in the CH subgrade. The maximum increase in the pavement life of subgrade stabilization with 15% of CFA was 2048% in a CL subgrade, and 397% in a CH subgrade, and life extension due to subgrade stabilization with 15% of CKD was 2323% in a CL subgrade and 797% in a CH subgrade.