Page 1 of 8
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 03
April 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 245
Expansive Soil Stabilization Using Waste
from Sugarcane Industry
C.Subhacini 1
, M.Ranjitha 2, S.Dhanapal 3 K.ArunPrakash4 , K.Uma shankar5,
1,2,3 B.E.Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Knowledge Institute of Technology,
Salem.
4,5Assistant Professors, Department of Civil Engineering, Knowledge Institute of Technology,
Salem
Email id: subheecivil@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Utilization of industrial and agricultural
waste products in the industry has been the
focus of research for economic,
environmental, and technical reasons.
Sugar-cane bagasse is a fibrous waste- product of the sugar refining industry,
along with ethanol vapour. This waste- product is already causing serious
environmental pollution which calls for
urgent ways of handling the waste. It
causes the chronic lung condition
pulmonary fibrosis more specifically
referred to as bagassios. In this paper,
Bagasse ash can be utilized to stabilize the
Expansive soil. The aim of this research
was to make economical and to maintain
environmental balance, and avoid problem
of ash disposal. This soil was classified as
CH as per Indian Standard Classification
System (ISCS). Different dosages of blast
furnace slag i.e. 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and
10% were used to stabilize the expansive
soil. The performance of Bagasse Ash
stabilized soil was evaluated using physical
and strength performance tests namely;
plasticity index, specific gravity,
compaction, California bearing ratio
(CBR) and Unconfined compressive
strength Test (UCS). These tests were
conducted in order
to evaluate the improvement in strength
Characteristics of the subgrade soil. Hence
Use of such advanced materials in road
construction can prove efficient in
increasing the strength of soil and in turn
reduce the project cost. From the results, it
was observed that the basic tests carried
out proved significant after the addition of
Bagasse Ash.
Keywords: Soil stabilization, black cotton soil,
Bagasse Ash, CBR, unconfined compressive
strength, MDD
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 General
Black cotton soil causes many problems to
road constructed on it. About 20% of the soil
found in India is expansive in nature. Roads on
black cotton soils are known for bad condition.
In rainy season black cotton soil absorbs water
heavily which results into swelling and
softening of soil. In addition to this it also loses
its strength and becomes easily compressible.
Black cotton soil has tendency to heave during
Page 2 of 8
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 03
April 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 246
wet condition. In summer season reduction in
water content it shrinks and produces cracks.
Thus as a result of this roads on black cotton
soil suffer from early failures in pavement with
heavy traffic excessive unevenness, ruts, waves
and corrugations are formed. It is proposed to
study causes of roads failure on black cotton
soil. Typical behaviour of these soils under
different climatic conditions has made the
construction and maintenance of road not only
expensive but also difficult. The failure occurs
after every monsoon season, resulting in heavy
cost of maintenance demand every year. The
black cotton soils are very poor and
undependable subgrade material. Hence the
main problem is to treat the subgrade soil itself
such that the undesirable characteristics are
modified by stabilization. Stabilization is the
process of improving the engineering
properties of soil and making it more stable. In
this study, industrial wastes from sugarcane
industry “Bagasse Ash” is used to stabilize the
soil.
Today, world faces a serious problem in
disposing the large quantity of agricultural
waste. The disposal of agricultural waste
without proper attention creates impact on
environmental health. It disturbs ecosystem,
causes air pollution, water pollution etc. The
engineers have to take challenge for safe
disposal of agricultural waste. This research
undertakes use of agricultural waste in
stabilizing black cotton soil, various attempts
have been made to improve the strength of soil
using different chemical additives in
combination with lime and cement, but research
work has to focus more on use of cheaper and
locally available material.
1.2 Objective of study
• To use agricultural waste bagasse ash as
a stabilizing material and to solve the
problem of waste disposal.
• To study the properties of black cotton
soil consistency limits, shear strength
parameters and CBR value .
• To study the changes in properties of
black cotton soil by adding Bagasse ash.
• To find out optimum amount of
stabilizer required for stabilization of
black cotton soil.
1.2 Requirement of soil stabilization
The main requirement of soil stabilization is
adequate strength and it depends on character of
soil. In case of cohesion less soils the strength
could be improved by providing confinement or
by adding cohesion with a cementing or binding
agent. In case of cohesive soil the strength
could be increased by drying, making soil
moisture resistant, altering the clay electrolyte
concentration, increasing cohesion with a
cementing agent and adding frictional
properties. Black cotton soil swells during rainy
season and shrinks during summer season. This
alternate swelling and shrinkage creates cracks
in the black cotton soil. These shrinkage cracks
are 100 mm to 150 mm wide and 0.5 to 2 m
deep. Swelling creates upward pressure on
structure and shrinkage creates downward pull.
It results into cracks or damage in the
foundations.
2. Literature review
“Soil Stabilization by Calcium Carbide
Residue and Fly Ash” Calcium carbide
residue (CCR) and fly ash (FA) are both waste
products from acetylene gas factories and
power plants. The input of CCR reduces the
maximum dry unit weight of the soil because
the specific gravity of the CCR is lower than
that of the soil. In the active zone, strength
significantly increases with the CCR content up
to the CCR fixation point. Beyond this point,
the strength gradually increases. This zone is
designated as the inert zone. Next is the
Page 3 of 8
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 03
April 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 247
deterioration zone in which strength decreases
with the CCR content. [1]
“Soil Stabilization with Calcined Paper
Sludge: Laboratory and Field Tests” This
paper examines the use of calcined paper
sludge (CPS). The soils were stabilized with
mixtures of CPS and cement (C). The mixture
of CPS and Portland cement leads to
mechanical improvements in the stabilization of
soils. It is estimated that the greatest strength
gain under compression may be obtained for
mixtures of CPS:cement with ratios (in weight)
of approximately 25:75.[2]
Kiran R. G., Kiran Lhad studied ‘The analysis
of Strength Characteristics of Black Cotton
Soil Using Bagasse Ash and Additives as
Stabilizer‟. In this study the black cotton soil is
taken from Harihara, Davanagere district,
Karnataka. Under this study laboratory
experiments are carried out for different
percentages (4%, 8% and 12%) of bagasse ash
and additive mix proportions. The strength
parameters like CBR, UCS are determined. It is
observed that,the blend results of bagasse ash
with different percentage of cement for black
cotton soil gave change in density, CBR and
UCS values. The density values got increased
from 15.16 KN/m3 to 16.5 KN/m3 for addition
of 8% bagasse ash with 8% cement.
Moses G., K. J. Osinubi studied the
‘Influence of Compactive Efforts on Cement- Bagasse Ash Treatment on Expansive Black
Cotton Soil’ The dark grey soil used in this
study was obtained along Gombe-Biu road in
YamatuDeba Local Government Area of
Gombe State using the method of disturbed
sampling. The index properties were
determined on the natural and treated soils with
Stepped percentages of cement (i.e., 0, 2, 4, 6
and 8%) were admixed with 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8%
of bagasse ash by dry weight of soil. All the
compactions involving moisture-density
relationships, CBR and UCS tests were carried
out by using energies derived from the standard
Proctor (SP), West African Standard (WAS)
and modified Proctor (MP) energies. Finally An
optimal blend of is 8% OPC/4% BA is
recommended for treatment of expansive black
cotton soil for use as a sub-base material.
M. Chittaranjan, M. Vijay, D. Keerthistudied
the ‘Agricultural wastes as soil stabilizers’. In
this study Agricultural wastes such as sugar
cane bagasse ash, rice husk ash and groundnut
shell ash are used to stabilize the weak sub
grade soil. The weak sub grade soil is treated
with the above three wastes separately at 0%,
3%, 6%, 9%,12%and 15% and CBR test is
carried out for each per cent .The results of
these tests showed improvement in CBR value
with the increase in percentage of waste.
3. MATERIAL USED
3.1 Black Cotton Soil
