Cement and lime mixture stabilization of an expansive overconsolidated clay

Abstract Urban areas of the wilaya of M'sila in Algeria nowadays experience a considerable development because of an unceasingly increasing demography, from where its extension towards virgin zones often less favorable than those already urbanized. This wilaya is located in a zone classified as semi-arid, whose geology comprises clayey formations characterized by a high variation of volume when the conditions of their equilibrium are modified (natural climatic phenomena due to a prolonged dryness, human activity by modification of the ground water level because of excessive pumping, configuration of constructions in their environment). This paper presents and analyzes the results of a series of normal Proctor compaction tests, methylene blue tests, California bearing ratio tests and undrained direct shear tests performed on Sidi-Hadjres expansive overconsolidated clay treated with mixture of various cement and lime contents and compacted under the optimum Proctor conditions. These test results show that the geotechnical parameters values are concordant and confirm the bearing capacity improvement of this natural clay, which is translated by a significant increase in soil strength and its durability. However, the best performances are obtained for a mixt treatment corresponding to 8% cement and 4% lime contents.