Improvement of Swelling Soil by Using Different Additives

Abstract

The effects of glass wool, silica fume, and cement additives on the compressibility and swelling characteristics of soil have been studied in this research. The soil sample obtained from Al-Fallujah west of Baghdad city that can be classified according to swelling soil classifications and according to the swelling potential of the soil is very high. The additives are glass wool which consists of prolyprobylene, silica fume which consists of latently reactive silicon dioxide and Portland cement which consists of pozlanic material. The soil samples were improved by mixing with three ratios of each additive 2, 4 and 6 % of the soil mass. The stabilized soil samples were dehydrated for 1 day. Based on the results of tests, the swelling effect decreased with increasing the ratio of additives with limit. Also, the a new material additive which represent by prolyprobylene fiber additives is the best additive to improve the characteristics of swelling soil by decreasing the void ratio to 40 % at 2% of that material additive.