Laboratory investigations on lateritic soil stabilized with rbi grade 81, coconut fiber and aggregates

Abstract

Soil stabilization is an excellent old technique adopted to improve the properties of any weak soil. In the recent past, many chemical stabilizers came to the market. In this study, a commercial stabilizer-RBI Grade 81’s (dosage 2–8%) potential to improve lateritic soil properties was investigated. At 6% RBI Grade 81 dosage, the effect of reinforcement was evaluated by using 0.5 and 1.0% coconut fibers. Strength improvement of 6% RBI Grade 81 stabilized soil admixed with <12.5 mm size aggregates (5, 10, and 15%) was studied to know the effect of granular layer demolition waste incorporation. CBR and UCS tests were used for strength evaluation. Considerable improvement in mix strength was observed above 6% RBI Grade 81 dosage on 28 curing days for the soil incorporated with fibers and aggregates. A linear fit was established between UCS and soaked CBR, which shows a high correlation (>0.9), and Prob > F is <0.06 depicting high reliability for the estimation of soaked CBR from UCS. Further, fatigue and durability tests were carried out to understand stabilized soil’s behavior under dynamic load application and performance during monsoon to simulate the submerged condition of the pavement in dense rainfall areas (>3500 mm). Stabilized lateritic soil mixes sustained freeze–thaw cycles effectively with weight loss of <14%. However, even at an 8% RBI Grade 81 dosage, the mix has not satisfied the wetting–drying test requirement. Stabilized soil blends showed excellent fatigue performance under repeated loads. The 6% RBI Grade 81 treated soil mixes can be used for modified subgrade.