Reliability of Soil and Ground Improvement Techniques in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Abstract

This research work presents a study of the reliability of ground improvement methods in three states of the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria namely: Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa –Ibom states. Natural soil which is peaty clay in nature was obtained from different locations in the area of study and improved with different percentages of chemicals, cement, ranging from 2% to 10% and geotextile materials after which reliability analysis was carried out on them for CBR and UCS tests. Results show that geotextile materials are not suitable for improving the peaty clay soils in the locations under study due to poor values of reliability while the reliability values obtained for soil improved with cement increases with increase in percentage addition of cement and curing period. Reliability values for soil improved with chemicals shows some variability but increase as curing period increases at percentage addition of chemicals from 2% to 6% for Calcium Oxide, Calcium Chloride, Calcium Hydroxide and Aluminium Hydroxide before a decrease in value. Sodium silicate reliability peaked at 8% while the optimal value of reliability for cement was realised at 10%.