STABILIZATION OF CEMENT BASED CLAY WITH TERRAZO WASTE AND

ZEOLITE

BY

ULOKO, Gideon Eche

2013/1/47460EC

CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

SCHOOL OF INFRASRUCTURE, PROCESS ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, MINNA

NIGER STATE.

JULY, 2019.
 CHAPTER ONE

1.1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Study

Clay soil exists in different parts of the world and can cause serious damage to civil engineering

structures ranging from building structures to road structures (Seco et al,2011). The common

clay minerals available are kaolinite, illite, montmorillonite which can exist as expansive clays

or soft clays ion their in-situ form. These two processes are caused by the availability or non-

availability of water to the in-situ clay deposit. Expansive clay soils are common in semi-arid

regions where availability of ground water is minimal and conditions are suitable for the

formation of clay minerals such as montmorillonite (Avsar et al, 2009, Nowamooz and

Masrouri, 2008, Sabtan, 2005). Soft clay deposits are common in rain forest areas where

groundwater is always available to the clay deposit. Clay is a material with low strength and

markedly affected by water but it can be relatively strong in dry condition (Goodarzi and

Salimi, 2015). If water is added to clay, it will behave as plastic or flow like liquid. Clays have

low permeability, high plasticity, swell potential and shrinkage potential and very low strength

when wet and are volumetrically unstable. These characteristics make clay soil a significant

hazard to engineering construction and consequently, neglected for use as construction

material. Their high plasticity makes them difficult to work with during construction. The

drastic reduction of their strength when they get saturated with water, high swell pressure, and

high shrinkage have led to the failure of several buildings, road pavements and earth structures

(Gobinath et al, 2016).

Zeolites are hydrated aluminosilicate minerals with an open cage-like structure characterised

by large intersecting open channels of ten- and eight-member tetrahedral rings. It has been
documented in the literature that the lattice of the zeolites consists of tetrahedra of silicate

(SiO4) and aluminate (AlO4) joined together by way of common oxygen atoms at their

vertices; as aluminium is trivalent, the lattice is negatively charged. This negative charge within

the pores is neutralised by positively charged ions, such as alkaline cations, which are free to

move in the channels of the cage-like lattice. The remarkable physical and chemical properties

of natural zeolites promote their utilisation, which has recently increased markedly, with the

aim of protecting the environment, as well as in a multitude of engineering and industrial

applications, including farming, fisheries, textiles and construction materials. Zeolites in

powder form have been used as a cement and concrete improver (Perraki et al., 2003; Poon et

al., 1999); an increase in the uniaxial compressive strength of concrete–zeolite cemented sands

has also been shown by Mola-Abasi and Shooshpasha (2016).

Industrial wastes (by-products) can be used solely or as admixtures so that natural sources are

used more efficiently and the environment is protected from waste deposits (Karasahin and

Terzi, 2007). Soil stabilization using admixtures is the oldest and most widespread method of

ground improvement. Cation exchange, flocculation and pozzolanic reactions are valid for

stabilization of expansive soils using waste terrazzo dust. In long term, pozzolanic reactions

occur between the calcium ions of the stabilizer (terrazzo dust) and the silica and alumina of

the clay minerals resulting in the formation of cementitious products such as calcium-silicate-

hydrates (C-S-H), calcium-aluminate-hydrates (C-A-H), and calcium aluminium-silicate-

hydrates (C-A-S-H).

Therefore, creating new utilization areas for waste marble dust will eliminate the potentially

harmful effects on environment and minimize costs due to storage. The property investigated

in this study is unconfined compressive strength.

Strength and durability properties of soil can be improved by both mechanical and chemical

stabilization. Soil stabilization is the alteration of soils to improve their physical properties.

Soil stabilization aims at improving soil strength and increasing resistance to softening by water

through bonding the soil particles together, water proofing the particles or combination of the

two. (Sherwood, 1993). Chemical stabilization depends mainly on chemical reactions between

stabilizer (cementitious material) and soil minerals (pozzolanic materials) to achieve the

desired effect. A chemical stabilization method is the fundamental of this research and,

therefore, throughout this report the term soil stabilization shall refer to chemical stabilization.

Stabilization is achieved by the addition of proper percentages of cement, lime, fly-ash,

bitumen or combination of these materials and other suitable materials to the soil. The selection

of the type and determination of the percentage of additive to be used is dependent upon the

soil classification and the degree of improvement in the soil quality desired. Durability, the

ability of a material to retain stability and integrity over years of exposure to destructive forces

of weathering, is one of the most important factors to be considered in the selection of soil for

construction use (Dempsey and Thompson, 1968).

1.2 Problem Statement

Weathering of rocks and soil is the primary way that clays and clay minerals foem at the earth’s

surface today. The process of weathering involves physical disaggregation and chemical

decomposition that changes original materials to clay minerals; weathering is uneven, amd

many stages of breakdown may be found in the same clay sample (Nora,1999). Clay generally

presents a great challenge to any civil engineering foundation and construction design. Soft

clays have low strength, low permeability, weak confining pressure, highly compressible and

exhibit moderate swelling when in contact with moisture. Clay is very hard when dry but loses

its strength on wetting. These characteristics create problems for the foundation or structure

because of shear failure or differential settlement and it becomes very dangerous in the long
run. It is therefore necessary to improve the physical characteristics of this soil by using suitable

soil stabilization techniques such as addition of cement, zeolite and terrazzo waste treatment

that will be done for this study.

1.3 Aim and Objectives

The aim of this research is to find the durability of clay stabilized with zeolite and terrazzo

waste. The objectives are:

i. To determine the optimum moisture content (OMC) of cement-based black

cotton clay soil and terrazzo waste.

ii. To determine the unconfined compressive strength of cement-based black

cotton clay stabilized with zeolite and terrazzo waste.

1.4 Scope of Study

This study focuses on the laboratory study of the unconfined compressive strength of zero-

percent cement-based black cotton clay stabilized with terrazzo and zeolite. The untreated clay

was collected from Abuja, Nigeria.

1.5 Justification of Study

This research is carried out to find the solution to improve the physical properties particularly

the strength and durability of untreated clay soils that can be suitable for engineering

construction since untreated clay soil is not recommended for any construction due to

instability. This will lead to reduction in resources expended in the total or partial replacement

of unsuitable clay soil from a construction site

1.6 Materials and Methods

1.6.1 Materials

i. Black Cotton Clay Soil

The black cotton soil sample will be obtained from a borrow pit at FCT-Abuja, Nigeria.

The clay will be collected at a depth of 1.0m to 1.5m. The clay soil will be crushed

manually, and size graded by sieve of 5.00mm to remove leaves and other unwanted

materials from the clay soil. The disturbed clay soil is to be prepared according to the

method highlighted in part 1 of B. S. 1377

ii. Zeolite

The zeolite to be used for this study will be obtained from Zaria, Kaduna State.

iii. Terrazzo waste

The terrazzo waste will be obtained from Civil Engineering Laboratory, Department of

Civil Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State.

iv. Water

Distilled water will be purchased from General Hospital Minna, Niger State was used

for this research

1.6.2 Methods

Moulded samples are to be produced at:

i. 0% Cement 0% Terrazzo Waste 2.0% Zeolite;

 ii. 0% Cement 3% Terrazzo Waste 1.5% Zeolite;

iii. 0% Cement 6% Terrazzo Waste 1.0% Zeolite;

iv. 0% Cement 9% Terrazzo Waste 0.5% Zeolite;

v. 0% Cement 12% Terrazzo Waste 0% Zeolite

Laboratory tests to e carried out include:

i. specific gravity test;

ii. liquid limit test;

iii. plastic limit test;

iv. compaction test: to obtain the optimum moisture content and maximum dry

density of the various percentage mixes proposed to be carried out.

v. unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test of the various mixes.

The moulded samples will be tested for unconfined compressive strength at the end of the

curing period of 24 hours, 7 days, 14 days, 21 days and 28 days. This test is used to quickly

obtain the shear strength parameters of cohesive soils either in disturbed or remoulded state.

The area correction formula for the result to be obtained is shown below.

Axial strain ɛₐ =(𝛥𝛨

𝛨₀
) × 100

𝐹 𝐴₀
Stress σ = where, A =
𝐴 1−ɛ

Aₒ is the initial area of the specimen (𝜋𝑟 2 )

1.7 Expected Result

At the end of this research, the following results will be obtained

a. Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) of the various mixes

 b. Specific Gravity of the soil sample and terrazzo waste

c. Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of the various mixes.

Shear strength of cement based black cotton clay soil is expected to either increase after it has

been stabilized with terrazzo waste and zeolite at different percentages when compared to

ordinary black cotton clay soil. The mix with the highest shear strength after application of

load during the unconfined compressive strength test is to be obtained.

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