Study of Soil Stabilization Using Lime & Fly Ash

Abstract

This review paper focuses on the study of soil stabilization using lime and fly ash to improve the engineering properties of weak soils. Lime reacts with clay minerals to reduce plasticity and enhance strength, while fly ash provides additional pozzolanic reactions that improve durability. The combined use of lime and fly ash significantly increases bearing capacity, compaction characteristics, and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values. Based on past research, this method is found to be cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and suitable for subgrade and foundation construction. The study highlights its potential for sustainable geotechnical engineering applications.

Introduction

Soil stabilization is crucial in civil engineering to improve the strength, durability, and workability of weak or problematic soils. Expansive or soft soils, if untreated, can cause settlement, cracking, and structural failures.

Chemical Stabilization:
Chemical stabilization using lime and fly ash is widely employed. Lime reacts with clay minerals via cation exchange and pozzolanic reactions, reducing plasticity, swelling, and enhancing strength. Fly ash, an industrial by-product, contains reactive silica and alumina that, with lime, form cementitious compounds, further improving soil properties.

Effects of Lime:

• Increases soil strength and shear resistance.

• Reduces plasticity index, thereby decreasing swelling potential.

• May show limited effect on compaction in some cases.

• Improves long-term stability via pozzolanic reactions.

Effects of Fly Ash:

• Decreases plasticity and improves workability.

• Alters compaction characteristics, increasing optimum moisture content and reducing maximum dry density.

• Enhances soil strength, cohesion, and bearing capacity.

• Alone, may be insufficient for highly plastic soils.

Combined Lime–Fly Ash Stabilization:

• Offers both short-term (reduced shrinkage, better compaction) and long-term (increased strength and durability) improvements.

• Enhances workability, strength, and durability more effectively than either additive alone.

• Environmentally beneficial by recycling industrial waste and reducing cement use.

Gaps and Future Research:

• Optimal proportions of lime and fly ash need further investigation.

• Most studies focus on fine-grained soils; coarse-grained soil behavior under similar treatments requires more research.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Arsalan ., Dinesh Kumar, Jainendra Singh, Md Zeeshan, Mr. Kuldeep Kumar Soni. 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.