Evaluating the Effect of Environment Acidity on Stabilized Expansive Clay

Abstract

Abstract In this article, the effects of environmental acidity on the mechanical and volumetric properties of cement-stabilized clay soils have been investigated through various tests on experimental scale. In this study, a problematic clay was chemically stabilized by cement under three treatment conditions including short term, medium term, and long term with different conditions varying from acid to alkaline environments, which were tested by different methods to evaluate their mechanical and volumetric behavior and properties. Mechanical characteristics assessment tests in this study include compaction tests, and unconfined compressive strength, which was conducted on samples under different conditions in terms of acidity and treatment time. The results of the study indicated that soil improvement by cement increases the mechanical strength and decreases the rate of soil swelling over time and treatment duration. However, the degree of acidity of the environment affects the chemical reactions of soil and cement, especially cement hydration, which causes changes in soil strength and volume variation due to swelling.