Effects of Bamboo Leaf Ash on Lime Stabilized Lateritic Soil for Highway Construction

摘要

This research determined the effects of bamboo leaf ash on lime stabilized lateritic soil for highway construction. It was necessary to utilize the properties of waste materials such as bamboo leaf in order to determine its usefulness as a possible complement stabilizer for lime and hence reduce highway construction cost. The three samples A, B and C used in this study were collected from different locations in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Preliminary tests such as the natural moisture content, specific gravity, grain size analysis and Atterberg's limits were performed on them at their natural states and when stabilized with optimum percentages of lime. Engineering tests such as compaction, California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and undrained traixial were also performed on them at their natural states, when stabilized with the optimum lime percentages and when Bamboo Leaf Ash (BLA) was introduced at 2, 4 and 6% to the samples. The results of the strength tests showed that BLA improved the strengths of all the lime stabilized samples. The unsoaked CBR values increased from 4-11, 2-10 and 2-11%, respectively in lime stabilized samples A, B and C with the addition of BLA. The shear strengths also increased substantially, from 42.16 to 398.96 kN/m2, 42.96 to 146.84 kN/m2 and 197.48 to 365.90 kN/m2, respectively with the addition of BLA to the lime stabilized samples. It was therefore concluded that BLA will further increase the strength of lime stabilized lateritic soil for highway construction since it was found as an effective complement for lime in soil stabilization.