SOIL STABILIZATION OPTIONS

Clays

When it comes to shallow foundations, either footings, slab or foundation for building or when it comes to building a structure for a floor, for example, we often find that the site soil, at the level we need to support our structure is formed by an inadequate material.

In this case we will refer specifically to a clay soil, visual features, at risk of volumetric changes with changes in moisture, and with a low bearing capacity. Specifically we must stabilize soil that you can use it without problems.

For greater clarity of the problem addressed, follow the procedure to ask some preliminary questions and clarify the concepts:

We begin by asking what purpose stabilize soil?. Soil stabilization is to modify some of its undesirable characteristics for the purpose of use that we give that ground. Then, if the soil will be used to support a foundation for either a building foundation or a floor, the main undesirable features of a plastic clay will be: A high index plastic too high value means expansion (or its opposite contraction), as well as load-bearing capacity will be too low.

And how can we carry out the stabilization of the clay previously mentioned?. Well, actually there are different ways of trying to stabilize a plastic clay, but in this article will discuss only one of the oldest methods used in construction, which consists of clay mixed with lime. Much has been written and said about the use of lime stabilization of clay, and there have been many ways of carrying out the procedure. First we should clarify that the use the "quick lime? for that purpose, it has advantages and disadvantages if you have those concerning its management. In this article I will focus only the use of hydrated lime, the more commercial and more uniform quality.

One of the most serious problems when it comes to mixing clay with lime, is to obtain a reasonably uniform distribution. There is building mechanical equipment to obtain a homogeneous mixture of both products, however this does not free us from the great clouds of lime dust as harmful both to the staff that does the work and for people who are in the vicinity of site on which work is done.

To avoid the problem that is mentioned in the preceding paragraph have been tested and has come to play a much simpler procedure, which involves applying the calculated amount of lime stabilization design, incorporating it in the water material is added to clay to provide optimum moisture content for compaction, thereby eliminating the undesirable spreading lime, as well as greatly simplifying the protection of personnel involved in the work.

When a draft of a clay soil stabilization with lime is appropriate and properly applied, should be clearly seen the effect of time factor, ie the soil bearing capacity will continue

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Engineer William Arizpe Narro