Treatment of Swelling Soil Using Crushed Glass Wastes and Lime

Abstract

This research aims to improve the engineering properties of expansive soil by using locally low-cost materials such as crushed glass wastes and lime. The studied expansive soil is considered unsuitable soil for civil engineering projects such as roads and buildings, as it was classified according to the AASHTO classification A-7-6. This soil was treated only with different ratios of crushed glass wastes (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight of dry soil), as well as the soil was treated only with different ratios of lime (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% by weight of dry soil). Experiments of Atterberg limits, standard Procter, direct shear, free swell, swelling pressure, and both un-soaked and soaked California Bearing Ratio tests were carried out on the untreated and treated soil. The results showed that by increasing added percentage of crushed glass wastes and lime separately, the consistency properties (Atterberg limits), the shear strength parameters (direct shear test), free swell, swelling pressure, and both un-soaked and soaked California Bearing Ratio of the studied expansive soil were improved; except for compaction characteristics, by adding crushed glass wastes the M.D.D was increased and O.M.C was decreased while by adding lime, the M.D.D was decreased and O.M.C was increased. This helps to make use of low-cost local materials, clean the environment of glass wastes, and recycle these wastes so that they can be used on an environmental, economic, and engineering level. This aligns with Egypt's Vision 2030 sustainable development approach in both the environmental and economic dimensions.