COMPACTION AND SHEAR BEHAVIOUR OF SOIL BLENDED WITH SILICA FUME AND CEMENT

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to observe the effect of silica fume and cement on the engineering properties of the silty soil. silty Soil with low plasticity was used in this study as a natural soil. A series of laboratory experiments have been carried out and varieties of samples were made by mixing soil with both silica fume and cement. Three different percentages of silica fume (3%, 5%, and 7%) and four different percentages of cement (0%, 3%,5% and 7%)were used as a stabilization materials . Test results show that addition of cement and cement with silica fume decrease the maximum dry density and increases the optimum moisture content. The unconfined compressive strength of the soil was found to increase significantly with increase in the cement and cement with silica fume content especially after a long curing period. However on addition of 5% cement with 7% silica fume, the unconfined compressive strength increases minutely. Further addition of cement decreases the unconfined compressive strength after a long curing.