Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by University Library At Iupui on 10/03/12. For personal use only. No other uses without permission.
Copyright (c) 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers. All rights reserved.
Fig. 4. Variation of OMC with cement content for soil-sand-cement
mixtures
tive efforts is shown in Fig. 4. The OMC at both energy levels
increased with, addition of cement for the soil-sand-cement mix-
tures with values at the SP energy level being higher than at the
WAS energy level. However, the OMC reduced at both energy
levels with increase in sand content with values for the SP energy
level being higher than at the WAS energy level. The increase in
OMC with cement content at both energy levels is a result of
water required for the hydration of cement. This is in agreement
with the findings of Osula 共1989兲. The decrease in OMC with
sand content can be attributed to increase in sand-size particles.
Figs. 5–7 show the variation of UCS with cement for the soil-
sand-cement mixtures at the SP and WAS energy levels for 7, 14,
and 28 days, respectively. Increase in UCS with cement content is
in agreement with the observation of Osinubi 共2001兲. The 7-day
UCS of soil-sand-cement mixtures increased from 787 and
689 kN/ m2 for the natural soil to 1,003 and 851 kN/ m2 at 45%
sand content at WAS and SP energy levels, respectively. Above
45% sand content, there was a decrease in UCS at the two energy
levels. This is probably due to the maximum densification that
was attained at 45% sand content as reflected in the MDD result.
If the maximum cement content of 7% recommended by the Ni-
gerian General Specification 共1997兲 is adopted in this study as a
criterion for economic stabilization of soil for road work, the
7-day UCS values of the soil-sand-cement mixture of 6% cement
and 45% sand were 2,702 and 2 , 115 kN/ m2 at the WAS and SP
energy levels, respectively, which are above the requirement of
Fig. 5. Variation of 7-day UCS with cement content for soil-sand-
cement mixtures
150 / JOURNAL OF MATERIALS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING © ASCE / FEBRUARY 2011
J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 2011.23:146-152.
Fig. 6. Variation of 14-day UCS with cement content or soil-sand-
cement mixtures
1 , 720 kN/ m2 共Millard 1993兲. In fact, most of the soil-sand-
cement mixtures met this requirement at the WAS energy level.
Table 2 shows the variation of CBR with cement for the soil-
sand-cement mixtures. Increase in CBR of laterite with cement
content at the two energy levels is in agreement with Osula
共1989兲 and Osinubi 共2001兲. It can be seen from this figure that
CBRs of 180 and 140% were obtained when laterite was treated
with 12% cement at the WAS and SP energy levels, respectively.
While the CBR at the WAS energy level was adequate, the ce-
ment content was above the economic level recommended which
suggests the use of sand as a modifier. The CBR increased sig-
nificantly from 35% for the natural soil to 420% at a soil-sand-
cement mixture of 45% sand and 6% cement at the WAS energy
level. At the SP energy level, CBR increased from 22% for the
natural soil to 230% at a soil-sand-cement mixture of
6% cement+ 45% sand. The Nigerian General Specification
共1997兲 recommended that a CBR value of 180% should be at-
tained in the laboratory for cement-stabilized material to be con-
structed by the mix-in-place method. A CBR of 180% was
attained by some of the combinations of sand and cement at the
two energy levels.
Table 3 shows the soaked and unsoaked CBRs of laterite when
treated with sand at the SP and WAS energy levels. The table
shows that treatment of laterite with sand alone will not be effec-
tive where the water table is high because the CBR reduced sig-
nificantly when specimens were soaked.
Fig. 7. Variation of 28-day UCS with cement content for soil-sand-
cement mixtures