Geotechnical Enhancement of Marine Clay using Optimized Blends of Lime and Ferrochrome Slag

Abstract

This study investigates the feasibility of enhancing the geotechnical properties of problematic marine clay using a binary blend of lime and ferrochrome slag. Marine clay is a type of clay found in coastal regions typically exhibit poor engineering properties such as low shear strength, high compressibility, and high plasticity, making them unsuitable for infrastructure like roads and foundations with prior treatment. The main problem of marine clay is settlement and heave of house footings that are three feet more or less. This study involves preparing marine clay specimens mixed with various proportions of lime and ferrochrome slag. The mechanical and geotechnical properties of stabilized soil were evaluated through series of tests.

Introduction

Marine clay, commonly found in coastal regions, poses serious challenges for construction due to high water content, low shear strength, high compressibility, and plasticity, leading to settlement and instability of structures. Soil stabilization is essential, with lime being a traditional chemical stabilizer that immediately reduces plasticity and swelling while providing long-term strength through pozzolanic reactions. To promote sustainability and cost-efficiency, industrial by-products like ferrochrome slag are being explored as partial replacements for lime, offering both environmental and economic benefits.

In this study, marine clay from Bheemili SEZ was air-dried, sieved, and tested. Lime (0.5–2%) and ferrochrome slag (5–20%) were used in various proportions to evaluate improvements in soil properties. Laboratory tests included Differential Free Swell (DFS), Specific Gravity, Atterberg Limits, Standard Proctor Compaction, and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) to assess reductions in expansiveness, plasticity, and improvements in load-bearing capacity. The goal was to determine optimal mix proportions and evaluate the treated soil’s suitability for subgrade and embankment construction.

Conclusion

The following conclusions were drawn based on the laboratory studies carried out for stabilizing the marine clay with an optimum of 15% Ferrochrome slag and further, the foundry sand treated marine clay was stabilized further with an optimum 2.0% of Lime.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Dr. D. Koteswara Rao, G. Gowtham. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.