Assessment of swelling and strength characteristics of expansive soil with addition of WRP

ABSTRACT The moisture migration and high-volume changes due to swelling and shrinkage in the expansive soils have posed severe challenges at many project sites. Additionally, rapid industrialisation in last few decades has posed problems of huge amount of undisposed industrial wastes, which not only cause environment degradation but also occupy huge tracts of valuable land. The paper presents the results of an experimental investigation carried out to assess the effect of waste recycled product (WRP), an industrial waste from steel industries; on the engineering properties of expansive soil and to achieve dual objectives of improving the engineering performance of such soils combined with its gainful utilisation. Test results revealed that addition of WRP to expansive soil in appropriate proportion not only reduces its swelling and shrinkage behaviour but also there is a significant improvement in its strength and deformation characteristics. After adding 30% WRP (by dry weight of soil) in expansive soil, the percentage increase in subgrade modulus and unconfined compressive strength was 89.18% and 68.78%, respectively, and it is concluded that there is significant potential for its use in flexible pavement construction on expansive soil subgrade which in turn provides its safe and economical disposal.