International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering

Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 11, November 2014)

Experimental Study on Stablization of Black Cotton Soil by Fly

Ash, Coconut Coir Fiber & Crushed Glass
Amit Tiwari1, H. K. Mahiyar2
1
M.E.Transportation Engineering, CE-AMD SGSITS, Indore, M.P., India
2
Professor, CE-AMD SGSITS, Indore, M.P., India
Abstract— As the Black Cotton Soil possess undesirable Black Cotton soil covers about 30% of the land area in
engineering properties like Excessive Variation in volume India. The name “Black Cotton” as an agricultural origin.
with change in water content, There is considerable shrinkage Most of these soils are black in colour and are good for
on drying result in formation of extensive cracks, Black growing Cotton.
Cotton soil experiences high swelling on being soaked, Low
In monsoon seasons, soils imbibe water, swell become
compressive strength at higher water content etc.
The objectives of the present studies focus on to analyze soft and capacity to bear water is reduced. In drier seasons,
property of soil such as Atterberg’s Limits, Compaction these soils shrink or reduce in volume due to evaporation of
Curve (O.M.C. and M.D.D.), Shrinkage Limit, California water and they become harder. Due to its peculiar
Bearing Ratio, Swelling Pressure, Permeability, direct shear characteristic of high plasticity, excessive swelling,
test, effect of Fly Ash, Coconut fiber& crushed Glass with shrinkage and low strength when wet, the soil is regarded
various percentages along with Black cotton Soil, combination unsuitable for construction material. Heavy financial
on the above proportion of ingredients, use of waste products investments are required to be made for construction of
instead of conventional materials like cement, lime, etc. & roads, canals and embankments due to non availability of
how to increase cost benefit ratio.
suitable soil.
To achieve this goal experimental study on 48 trial samples
test were carried in two phase such as in first phase, the During the last two decades environmental hazards,
physical properties of soil such as hygroscopic moisture regulations and heightening of public awareness has made
content grain size distribution, specific gravity, Atterberg’s it difficult as well as costly to dispose of the waste
limits, Direct shear test, Swelling pressure, MDD-OMC, CBR, materials. Therefore fly ash may be stabilized through
Permeability test values are determined. In second phase, traditional soil stabilization agents such as lime, cement,
various test investigation performed on black cotton soil using and chemicals. These materials are costly, harmful for
different percentages of Fly Ash (FA) at 10%, 15%, 20%, environment and inconvenient in handling with fly ash. Soil
25%, Coconut Coir Fiber (CCF) at 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 1% is used as sub grade or sub base material. Waste materials,
& Crushed Glass (CG) at 3%, 5%, 7% (glass crushed to have
such as waste glass, coconut coir fibers, etc. can be use
gradation of sand size).
with fly ash in soil stabilization of expansive soil.
Keywords— Black cotton soil, California Bearing Ratio
Coconut Coir Fibre, Crushed Glass, Fly ash, Soil II. LITERATURE REVIEW
Stabilization, Swelling Pressure. Bairwa Ramlakhan et al.[1] represents a study of the
lime and fly ash as the admixtures or stabilizers in
I. INTRODUCTION improving some engineering Properties of Black cotton
Marginal and weak soils, including soft clays, black (BC) soils. This experimental program evaluates the effect
cotton soil, organic deposits, and loose sand, are often of the lime and fly ash on the some basic engineering
unsuitable for construction due to their poor engineering properties of BC soil such as Liquid limit, plastic limit and
properties. Expansive soil experiences volume change due compaction of BC soil and California bearing ratio (CBR)
to alteration in moisture content. Black Cotton soil covers of BC Soil. The percentage of lime used in black cotton
about 30% of the land area in India. Marginal and weak soil varied from 3% to 12%. Besides the percentage of fly
soils, including soft clays, black cotton soil, organic ash used in BC soil varies from 10% to 40%.
deposits, and loose sand, are often unsuitable for Barua et.al [2] has studied on the roads of Assam facing
construction due to their poor engineering properties. problems like formation of potholes, ruts, cracks and
Expansive soil experiences volume change due to alteration localized depression and settlement especially during rainy
in moisture content. season.

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 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 11, November 2014)
These are mainly due to insufficient bearing capacity of Laboratory and field studies have shown that this fly ash
the sub grade in water saturated condition. They found that was suitable for stabilizing gravel roads. This conclusion is
the sub grade soil mostly yields low CBR value 2-5%, to based on: An initial leaching of K, Na, Cl and SO4 was
increase bearing capacity of sub grade by using coir mat a found from the test sections but the leaching decreased with
natural geotextile. time and after two years the concentrations were similar
Dutta .R.K. [4] has analyzed the CBR behavior of waste between reference and test sections and The sections had
plastic strip reinforced fly ash overlying saturated clay. high infiltration capacity but despite that a discrepancy was
Three different sizes of waste plastic strips were used in found between leaching from the road and leaching of fly
this\study. The effect of waste plastic strip content (0.25% ash in laboratory experiments.
to 4%) and length on the CBR and secant modulus of strip Singh et al. [7] has carried out experimental studies on
reinforced-stone dust/fly ash overlying saturated clay was the stabilizing effect of Natural fiber (coconut coir) on soil
investigated. The study reveals that addition of waste properties. Soil samples for unconfined compression
plastic strip in stone dust/fly ash overlying saturated clay strength (UCS) and California bearing ratio (CBR) tests are
resulted in an appreciable increase in the CBR and the prepared at its maximum dry density corresponding to its
secant modulus. optimum moisture content in the CBR mould without and
Hassan [5], has conducted tests to determine engineering with coir fiber. Tests result indicates that both unsoaked
properties of soil samples such as classification, Standard and soaked CBR value of soil increases with the increase in
Proctor Compaction Test, Unconsolidated Undrained Test fiber content.
(UUT) and Odometer Consolidation Test. He
experimentally shows that addition of coir fiber with III. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
different content (0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1.0%) and (a) Material Used
length (15 mm, 25 mm, 35 mm, and 45 mm) as random
reinforcing material increase the compaction and strength  Expansive soil was excavated from Double Choukey
of soft soil and The effectiveness of coir fiber in shear near NH-59 A Indore (M.P.) at depth of 0.5 m by
strength is 105.68 kPa for 35 mm in fiber length and 0.50% random sampling.
in fiber content. Besides, the MDD and OMC is 16.10 kPa  Fly Ash was purchased from Fly ash brick plant
and with 13% which is from 45 mm at 0.50% of fiber situated at Manavta Nagar, Indore (M.P.). The fly
length and content. ash is a byproduct obtains from thermal power plant
Khan [13] has studies on, a soil fly ash interface having low densities useful for structural fills,
mechanism using different soil-fly ash ratios to upgrade highway embankments.
significantly stabilization of supporting medium based on  Coconut coir fiber was brought from Siyaganj Market
CBR tests. The study confirms soundness of approach and Various temples in Indore (M.P.).
when a particular interface arrangement gives high fly ash (b)Experimental Investigation Performed
utilization rate along with many fold increase CBR values.
The results indicate that the CBR value optimized at soil- In first phase, the physical properties of soil such as
fly ash ratio 1:2.5 and number of interface N = 4. hygroscopic moisture content grain size distribution,
Vestin et al. [15] perform studies to compare the specific gravity, Atterberg’s limits, Direct shear test,
different sections regarding stiffness and environmental Swelling pressure, MDD-OMC, CBR, Permeability test
impact. The environmental impact of the road was values are determined.
estimated from soil water and leach-ate from the road and In second phase, various test investigation performed on
an initial leaching of K, Na, Cl and SO4 was found from black cotton soil using different percentages of Fly Ash
the lysimeters. He experimentally shows the bearing (FA) at 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, Coconut Coir Fiber (CCF)
capacity of the sections using falling weight deflectometer at 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 1% & Crushed Glass (CG) at 3%,
technique at four different occasions along with the bearing 5%, 7% (glass crushed to have gradation of sand size).
capacity increased with time and ash content.

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 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 11, November 2014)
TABLE 1
Properties of Soil

Figure 3 Variation of Swelling Pressure

IV. ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION

 Within present experimental study following
Discussions are drawn. On carried out experimental
study on 48 trial samples we observe following things
which are enlightened in the following paragraphs.
 On studying Fig.5.1, this curve shows great variation
and required certain control condition to carry out
test. We obtain all the values greater than the plain
soil. It means that due to adulteration of this foreign
material (F.A, CG & CCF) soil quality improves to
Figure 1 Soil Grain size distribution of Soil & Fly Ash great extent.
 In these test individual behaviour of FA.CG & CCF
TABLE 2 with soil has also carried out which shows that for
Properties of Fly Ash Soil
adding 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% & 30% FA with soil
produces highest CBR of value 4 at max 25%, after
that curve height decreases gradually.
 Similarly on adding 3%, 5% & 7% we obtained
highest CBR of value 3 .1 at 7% CG after curves falls
down enormously. Also for adding 0.25%, 0.5%,
0.75%, 1% & 1.25%.of CCR we obtained max curve
height at CBR value of 3.6 after that curve should
successive depletion.
 Hence we determined from experimental results for
combinations made for 25%FA, 7% & 1%CCF to set
range for combination for this 48 trial samples are
made. During this trial C.B.R, curve attains highest
value at 5.2 and falls down 2.2 and again it goes to
3.8, for different set of combination.

V. CONCLUSION
On the basis of present experimental study following
conclusions are drawn.
 Addition of Fly Ash, Coconut Coir Fibre (CCF), and
Crushed Glass (CG) in Black Cotton Soil improves
Figure 2 CBR comparison the Engineering properties of soil.
 Present study shows that optimum combination is
20% FA + 5% CG +1 % CCF With soil.
 Reduces swelling pressure up to 1/10th.

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 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 11, November 2014)
 Increases enormously raise California Bearing Ratio [3] Devidovic ,N., Prolovic,V., “Waste Glass additive to clay material in
sub grade and embankment of Road Pavement” Architecture and
up to 3.5 times for optimum combination. Civil Engineering Vol. 10 Nov,2012.
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 Increases soil Permeability which is good for drainage Engineering, Vol. 5, Issue 1, pp 181-192, 2007.
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2012.
reduced up to Rs 7, 45,000/- per kilometer.
[6] IRC SP 58 “Guidelines for use of Fly ash in Road Embankment”.
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are weak to produce good result but use in proportion the specific gravity of soil”.
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[9] IS: 2720 (Part V)-1985 Methods of Test for soil “Determination of
VI. FUTURE SCOPE liquid limit of soil using Casasgrande Apparatus”.
[10] IS-2720 (Part V) 1965 Methods of Test for soil “Determination of
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lime, stone dust, sand, cement. Also Nylon fibers can be optimum moisture content & maximum dry density of soil by
replaced by coconut coir, jute (natural fibers) or Standard Proctor Test (light Compaction)”.
polypropylene, shredded rubber tire (artificial fibers), geo-
textile or geo-synthetic. From the above materials, mixes of [12] IS: 2720 (Part XL) 1977 Methods of Test for soil “Determination of
different proportions or combinations can be made for free swell index of soil sample”.
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