EFFECT ON OPTIMUM MOISTURE CONTENT AND MAX

DRY DENSITY BY TIME DELAY COMPACTION OF SOILCEMENT MIXTURE

Report submitted in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the award of degree of
Project-I (CE47005) report submitted to
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
In partial fulfillment for the award of the degree of
Bachelor of Technology
in
Civil Engineering

By
SANDEEP NAGARKOTI
Under the guidance of
PROF. KOUSIK DEB

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
KHARAGPUR 721302, INDIA

DECLARATION
I certify that
(a) The work contained in this report has been done by me under
the guidance of my supervisor.
(b) The work has not been submitted to any other Institute for any
degree or diploma.
(c) I have conformed to the norms and guidelines given in the
Ethical Code of Conduct of the Institute.
(d) Whenever I have used materials (data, theoretical analysis,
figures, and text) from other sources, I have given due credit to
them by citing them in the text of the thesis and giving their details
in the references. Further, I have taken permission from the
copyright owners of the sources, whenever necessary.

Date:

(Name of student)

Place: Kharagpur

(10CE31014)

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF THECHNOLOGY, KHARAGPUR
KHARAGPUR-721302, INDIA

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project report entitled
_______________________________________
______________________________ submitted by
____________________________ (Roll No. 10CE31014) to Indian Institute
of Technology, Kharagpur towards partial fulfillment of requirements for the
award of degree of Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering is a record
of bonafide work carried out by him/her under my/our supervision and
guidance during Autumn Semester 2014-15.

DATE:
Place: Kharagpur

prof. __ ________
Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology
Kharagpur, India

INTRODUCTION
After a brief study of some relevant texts documenting the production,
characteristics and use of Portland cement a better understanding of its
cementitous qualities has been gained. The bonding of cement is caused by
the hydration of the cement particles which grow into crystals that can
interlock with one another giving a high compressive strength.
In order to achieve a successful bond the cement particles need to coat
most of the material particles so that upon hydration a crystalline structure is
created throughout the mixture of particles. Particle intimacy is important to
ensure a good number of cementitic bonds between adjoining particles and
this can be helped by mixing the cement into a mixture of particles with a
good size distribution. The water in the mixture needs to be monitored to
guarantee sufficient hydration of the cement and also to ensure adequate
workability of the mix. Too much water will leave voids in the mixture after
the water has evaporated off and will reduce the final set strength of the
material.
As a stabilizing material cement is well researched, well understood
and its properties clearly defined. Portland cement is readily available in
most urban areas, and usually available in semi-urban areas, as it is one of
the major components for any building construction. Earlier studies have
shown that cement is a suitable stabiliser for use with soil in the production
of soil-cement blocks, (International Labour Office, 1987),(p. 38).

Some facts about cement:

This section will concentrate on establishing the properties and
composition of cement. This knowledge will provide a simple foundation for
understanding the way that cement works. It will not describe in too much
detail the characteristics or production of cement, as this has already been
previously established to a sufficient level.

Chemical composition and production:

Cement can simply be described as being a mixture of lime and clay
which is heated to about 1,500C, and the resulting clinker has gypsum
added and the sum is then ground to very fine powder.

Lime (CaO)
Silica (SiO2)
Alumina (A1203)
Iron oxide (Fe2O3)
Magnesia (MgO)
Sulphur trioxide (S03)
Sodium potash

Percent (%)
59 -67
17 -25
3-9
0.5-6
0.1-4
1-3
0.5-1.3

Average(%)
64
21
7
3
2
2
1

Because of the very extensive use of soil-cement as a construction

material for roads, airfields and other purposes, many laboratory and field
studies have been carried out in connection with evaluation of its properties
and performance. More recently a number of studies aimed at better defining
the reactions and interactions developing during the hydration of soil-cement
and soil-lime mixtures have been carried out to develop improved methods
of treatment (Goldberg and Klein 1952; Eades and Grim, 1960; Moh, 1962;
Glenn and Handy, 1963; Herzog and Mitchell, 1963; Diamond, White and
Dolch, 1964; and E1 Jack,1965).These studies established quite clearly that
interactions develop between the hydrating cement and soft minerals
Also long-term performance of pavement structures is significantly
impacted by the stability of the underlying soils. In situ subgrades often do
not provide the support required to achieve acceptable performance under
traffic loading and environmental demands. Although stabilization is an
effective alternative for improving soil properties, the engineering properties
derived from stabilization vary widely due to heterogeneity in soil
composition, difference in micro and macro structure of soils, heterogeneity
of geologic deposits, and due to differences in physical and chemical
interactions between the soil and candidate stabilizers. These variations
necessitate the consideration of site-specific treatment options validated
through testing of soil-stabilizer mixtures under simulated field conditions.
A basic understanding of stabilization mechanisms assists the user
agency in selecting the stabilizer or additive best suited for a specific soil not
only from the standpoint of developing the engineering properties desired
for the pavement sub layers but also to minimize the risk of long-term
deleterious reactions that might compromise pavement structural capacity or
even induce disruptive volumetric changes such as sulfate-induced heave.
The most widely used traditional calcium-based stabilizers: Portland cement,
lime, and fly ash.
5

The definition of modification and stabilization can be ambiguous,

modification refers soil improvement that occurs in the short term, during or
shortly after mixing (within hours). This modification reduces the plasticity
of the soil (improves the consistency) to the desired level and improves
short-term strength to the desired level (short-term is defined as strength
derived immediately within about 7-days of after compaction).

SOIL-CEMENT STABILIZATION:
In general, there are three types of soil-and-cement mixtures as follows:
Plastic soil-cement is a hardened mixture of soil and cement that
contains, at the time of placing, enough water to produce a
consistency similar to plastering mortar. It is used to line or pave
ditches, slopes, and other areas that are subject to erosion. It also may
be used for emergency road repair by mixing high-early-strength
cement into the natural material in mud holes.
Cement-modified soil is an unhardened or semi hardened mixture
of soil and cement. When relatively small quantities of Portland
cement are added to granular soil or silt-clay soil the chemical and
physical properties of that soil are changed. Cement reduces
the plasticity and water-holding capacity of the soil and increases
its bearing value. The degree of improvement depends upon the
quantity of the cement used and the type of soil. In cement-modified
soil, only enough cement is used to change the physical properties of
the soil to the degree desired. Cement-modified soils may be used for
base courses, sub bases, treated sub-grades, highway fills, and as
trench backfill material.
Compacted soil-cement, often referred to as simply soil-cement, is a
mixture of pulverized soil and calculated amounts of portland cement
and water that is compacted to a high density. The result is a rigid slab
having moderate compressive strength and resistance to the
disintegrating effects of wetting and drying and freezing and thawing.
The remainder of our discussion of soil-cement is directed towards
this type of soil-and-cement mixture.

The quantities of Portland cement and water to be added and

the density to which the mixture must be compacted are
determined from tests. The water serves two purposes: it helps to
obtain maximum compaction (density) by lubricating the soil grains
and it is necessary for hydration of the cement that hardens and binds
the soil into a solid mass. Properly produced soil-cement contains
enough water for both purposes.
Practically all soils and soil combinations can be hardened with
portland cement. They do not need to be well-graded aggregates since
stability is attained primarily through hydration of cement and not by
cohesion and internal friction of the materials. The general suitability
of soils for soil-cement can be judged before they are tested on the
basis of their gradation and their position in the soil profile.
Portland cement has been successfully used in certain situations
with extended mellowing periods, well beyond 2 to 4 hours.
Generally, the soil is remixed after the mellowing periods to achieve a
homogeneous mixture before compaction. Although the ultimate
strength of a soil cement product with an extended mellowing period
may be lower than one in which compaction is achieved before initial
set, the strength achieved over time in the soil with the extended
mellowing period may be acceptable and the extended mellowing may
enhance the ultimate product by producing improved uniformity, the
conventional practice is to compact soil cement within 2 hours of
initial mixing.