Proceedings of Indian Geotechnical Conference

December 15-17,2011, Kochi (Paper No. L-295)

EFFECT OF SOAKING ON THE STRENGTH BEHAVIOUR OF SHEDI SOIL TREATED

WITH NFA

H.N. Ramesh (Professor and Chairman, Dept. of Civil Engg, UVCE, Bangalore-56, Email : rheddur@gmail.com.)
H.S.Nanda (Principal, Bangalore Technological Institute,Bangalore-35,Email: rekhajnanda@yahoo.com)
K.V. Manoj Krishna (Asst.Prof, Dept. of Civil Engg.,, Govt.SKSJTI Bangalore-01,EmailL shree_manoj@yahoo.com)

ABSTRACT: : The strength property of shedi soil depends on density and compactive effort. Further the strength of weak
soils can be altered by the addition of admixture. The widespread availability of fly ash has promoted its use to stabilize
soils. Soils which are highly susceptible to erosion, on mixing with fly ash and curing for a sufficient period of time not
only become resistant to erosion but also gain the strength. However, strength depends mainly on its reactive silica and
lime content . This paper presents the strength behaviour of pozzolanic Neyveli fly ash treated with shedi soil after curing
(Soaked and unsoaked ). From the study it is inferred that, addition of 20% NFA to shedi soil , strength increases by 19
folds and 14 folds respectively representing for both unsoaked and soaked UCC samples compared to shedi soil alone.

INTRODUCTION MATERIALS USED

The coastal area of Karnataka has a hard crust on the top,
these top layers of the laterite formations are highly porous Shedi soil
but hard and strong. In between this top low level laterites Naturally available shedi soil was chosen for the study. The
and bottom high level laterites some of the beds are having soil has been selected to reflect different mineralogical
size distribution between JEDI (clay) and GODI (silt) soils, components. The soil used for the present study has been
but do not show the behaviour of the clay nor silt. These obtained from shedi gudda from a depth of 2 meter below
soils dissolve and flow like water when water gushes natural ground level, Mangalore, Karnataka state, India.
through this layer during monsoon and many times washes The geotechnical properties of Shedi soil are as follows.
–off the fine soil, creates cavities and at time causes heavy
settlement and sliding of the top layers after the application Table 1. Basic properties of Shedi soil
of load. This bed soil is termed as lithomargic shedi soil [1]. Type of Test Values
The effect of soaking on the strength characteristics of Specific Gravity (G) 2.43
lime- stabilized soils had been investigated in U.K. U.S.A Liquid Limit (%) 27
and India for short periods varying up to three weeks. These Plastic Limit (%) 17
investigation indicate a decrease in the strength of Plasticity Index (%) 10
stabilized specimen on soaking. A different trend in the Compaction Test Proctors
strength development of black cotton soil stabilized with M.D.D k N/m3 19.02
lime had been observed when the specimen was soaked up O.M.C (%) 13.7
to one year [2]. Unconfined Compressive 145.5
strength (kN/m2 )
LITERATURE REVIEW
The widespread availability of fly ash has promoted its use Neyveli Fly Ash
to stabilize soils have proved to be very effective and The fly ash used in this study was collected from Neyveli
economical for use in base and sub-base layers of pavement lignite corporation, Tamilnadu . It is pozzolanic fly ash
systems[3]. Soils which are highly susceptible to erosion,
belonging to the ASTM classification “A” .
with fly ash mixing and curing for a sufficient period of
time shows not only resistant to erosion but also it gains
METHODS
strength [4]. So for no data is available on the effect of the
The compaction tests were conducted as per BIS 2720 [5,
fly ash content on the strength of shedi soils for different
6] and unconfined compressive strength test was conducted
curing periods both for soaked as well unsoaked conditions.
as per BIS 2720 [7]
Hence, an attempt is made in this paper to study the
strength of shedi soil with various percentage of fly ash for
Soaking procedure
different curing periods with and without soaking.
The unconfined compressive strength samples are cured in
desiccators for 3 days to get sufficient strength and then the
samples are kept for soaking in distilled water for curing
and tested at different curing periods.

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H.N.Ramesh, H.S.Nanda & K.V. Manoj Krishna
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
CONCLUSION
Optimization of NFA in Sheid soil Based on the experimental results following conclusions
The unconfined compressive strength of shedi soil alone is were drawn
145 kN/m2 . The unconfined compressive strength was The strength of Shedi soil increases continuously with the
determined with the addition of Neyveli fly ash with addition of Neyveli fly ash. However, 20% Neyveli fly ash
varying percentage of Neyveli fly ash (10 to 90% by has been chosen as the optimum percentage. The strength
weight of soil) to shedi soil the strength increases for all the of Shedi soil + 20% Neyveli fly ash increases continuously
curing periods however, the increase in strength is for longer curing periods. The strength of Shedi soil treated
maximum for the addition of 20% Neyveli fly ash to shedi with 20% Neyveli fly ash increases the strength with curing
soil. Hence 20% Neyveli fly ash has been considered to be both for soaked and unsoaked conditions. However for
optimum percentage. unsoaked condition the increase is 18 folds and for soaked
condition is 14 folds compared to Shedi soil alone.
Unconfined compressive strength test
Figure 1, shows the variation of unconfined compressive REFERENCES
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0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Curing period (Days)

Fig.1 Unconfined compressive strength of unsoaked (US) and soaked (S) - shedi soil with NFA mixture

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