Implication of Fly Ash in Stabilizing Expansive Soil

Abstract

Expansive Black Cotton soils are extensively distributed worldwide and nearly 51.8 million hectares of land area in India are covered with Expansive soil (mainly Black Cotton soil). This black Cotton Soil is a source of great damage to infrastructure and buildings. It is, therefore, necessary to mitigate the problems posed by expansive soils and prevent cracking of structures. In the present study, using fly ash obtained from Katul Board, Durg, Chhattisgarh, stabilization of black cotton soil obtained from Durg, is attempted. With various proportions of this additive i.e. 0% to 50%, expansive soils are stabilized. Owing to the fact that fly ash possesses no plastic property, plasticity index (P.I.) of clay-fly ash mixes show a decrease in value with increasing fly ash content. In conclusion, addition of fly ash results in decrease in plasticity of the expansive soil, and increase in workability by changing its grain size and colloidal reaction. Analysis of the formerly found result exposes the potential of fly ash as an additive that could be used for improving the engineering properties of expansive soils.