MATTU UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

A CASE STUDY on
Stabilization of expansive soil by using wood ash

Prepared by: Sisay kolcha

Id:

Submitted To: Dr. chethan

January 2023

Mettu, Ethiopia
 Mattu university dep’t of civil eng’g

Stabilization of expansive soil by using wood ash

1, INTRODUCTION

Soil is an essential component for design of both flexible and rigid pavement
structures. expansive soil exhibit marked changes in physical properties with
changes in water content, shrink on dry season and expand on wet season, which
may adversely affect the pavements of the road constructed on them. to improve
the soil conditions, different methods are used .stabilization, removal of soil and
replace with selected soil. Soil stabilization is the fundamental process of
improving the engineering properties of soils by adding stabilizers or binders to
increase the strength and stability of the originally weak soil by bonding the soil
particles together. In this case study the soil sample was collected from the region
around Gore -masha- tepi road project under construction from Km 67+900 and
the wood ash the stabilizer which is the powdery residue remaining after the
burning of woods, was collected from local bread houses and restaurants . Wood
ash is a very fine particle size ,so it easily mixes with soil and the chemical
composition of wood ash contains carbon (5%-30%), calcium (7%-33%),
potassium (3%-4%), magnesium (0.3%-1.3%), phosphorus (0.3%-1.4%), and
sodium (0.2%-0.5%).density of wood ash decreases with increasing of carbon
content. The soil is stabilized by using wood ash. Compaction test, CBR test ,
Liquid limit test, plastic limit test, plasticity index , and swell test were conducted
on the soil and the soil mixed 25% percentage of wood ash.
2, OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of the study is to conduct experimental study and analyze

the engineering properties of expansive soil and the soil with wood ash by
conducting procter compaction test, Atterberg limit test ( plastic limit, liquid limit
and plasticity index) test, swell test and CBR test and then to compare the
effectiveness of wood ash on the expansive soil.
3, PROBLEM IDENTIFIED

The research conducted in this case study was only one trial amount of wood
ash ,as its difficult to be sure the amount of wood ash because many trial amount of
wood ash and laboratory test result is required to determine the precision amount
of wood ash which effectively stabilize the soil.
Sisay kolcha
January 2023 Page 2
 Mattu university dep’t of civil eng’g

4, PREPARATION OF SAMPLES

The soil sample were dried on sun and air for two days to remove the natural
moisture from the soil and the soil sample and wood ash was sieved by 4.75mm (#
4 sieve) pass.

A) Preparation of soil sample without stabilizer

 To determine the maximum dry density conducting of proctor
compaction test soil sample were prepared with 6%, 8%, 10% and
12%, percent of water content and also soil sample was taken from
each the above percent of water content and put in the oven dry for
24 hrs to determine the optimum moisture content.
 The soil sample was sieved by 0.425mm pass and pan retained taken
to conduct atterberg limits (liquid limit ,plastic limit and plasticity
index)
 For conducting CBR test and Swell test the soil sample was
compacted in mold with with 10,30 and 65 number of blows per layer
on 5 layers were conducted on optimum moisture content and then
soaked in water for 4 days.
B) Preparation of soil sample with wood ash stabilizer (3:1 ratio)
 To determine the maximum dry density conducting of proctor
compaction test soil sample with 25% of wood ash were prepared
with 8%, 10%, 12% and 14%, of water content and also soil
sample with 25% of wood ash was taken from each the above percent
of water content and put in the oven dry for 24 hrs to determine the
optimum moisture content.
 The soil sample with 25% of wood ash was sieved by 0.425mm pass
and pan retained taken to conduct atterberg limits (liquid limit ,plastic
limit and plasticity index).

 For conducting CBR test and swell test the soil sample with 25%
of wood ash was compacted in mould with 10,30 and 65 number of
blows per layer on 5 layers were conducted on optimum moisture
content and the surcharge weight placed on the top of specimen
mould then soaked in water for 4 days.

Sisay kolcha
January 2023 Page 3
 Mattu university dep’t of civil eng’g

Figure 1 preparation of samples.

5, DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

The test results and analysis of the test results are conducted and explained in
the following section.

A. Modified proctor compaction test : this method is intended for

determining the relationship between the moisture content and density of
soil when compacted at a given water content with 4.5 kg rammer dropped
from a height of 457 mm in cylindrical steel mould 56 number of blows per
layer on 5 layers then weighted the sample recorded the result and the value
are shown in figure below.
DRY DENSITY Kg/m3

1,480
DRY DENSITY Kg/m3

MOISTURE DENSITY RELATIONS MOISTURE DENSITY RELATIONS

1,310
1,440 1,459.0
1,290 1300.1
1,400
1,270
1,360
1,250
1,320
1,230 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34
MOISTURE CONTENT % MOISTURE CONTENT %

Figure 2a, MDD & OMC of soil sample figure 2b,MDD & OMC of soil with 25% wood as

B. Atterberg limit test

Sisay kolcha
January 2023 Page 4
 Mattu university dep’t of civil eng’g

 Liquid limit test is measured by placing a clay moistured sample in a

standard casegrande cup and making separation by using a spatula and
rolling a soil sample till the separation comes to join in 1cm then recorded
the result and the sample was taken and put on oven for 24 hrs to determine
the moisture.
 Plastic limit test is determined by repeatedly remolding a small ball of moist
plastic soil and manually rolling it in to a 3mm diameter size and the sample
was taken and put on oven for 24 hrs to determine the moisture.
 Plasticity index is defined as the range of moisture contents over which the
soil deforms plastically and the value s the difference between the LL and
PL the values are recorded and the Atterberg limit values for soil sample
and soil with 25 percentages of wood ash shown in figure below.

Moisture content %
Moisture content %

Flow curve
99 Flow curve
50
98

97 49

96
48
48.2
95
95.61
47
94

93 46
10 20 30 40 50 60 10 20 30 40 50 60
No of blows No of blows

Figure 3a, LL of soil sample figure 3b, LL soil with 25% wood
ash

C. California Bearing Ratio Test

Load is applied on the sample by standard plunger with the diameter 50mm at the
rate of 1.25mm/min and CBR value is expressed as a percentage of the actual load
causing the penetration of 2.54mm or 5.08mm to the standard loads apply on it the
results were conducted for soil samples and shown in Figure below.

Sisay kolcha
January 2023 Page 5
 Mattu university dep’t of civil eng’g

RESISTANCE TO PENETRATION - Mpa

0.45 7.00

RESISTANCE TO PENETRATION - Mpa

10
0.40 10 Blo
Blo
ws 6.00 ws

0.35 30
Blo
30
Blo 5.00 ws
ws
0.30
65
Blo
ws

0.25
65
Blo
4.00
ws
Pe
ne-
0.20 3.00
tra-
tio
Pen- n at
etra- 2.5
tion 4
at m
0.15 2.54
mm
m

2.00
0.10 Pen-
Pe
ne-
tra-
etra- tio
tion
at 1.00 n at
5.0
0.05 5.08
mm
8
m
m

0.00 0.00
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
PENETRATION - millimeters PENETRATION - millimeters

2.5 DRY DENSITY VS SOAKED CBR DRY DENSITY VS SOAKED CBR

56.0
2.4

46.0
SOAKED CBR - %

2.3
40.2
2.2
2.2 36.0
SOAKED CBR - %

2.1

2.0 26.0

1.9
16.0
1.8

1.7
6.0
1000 1050 1100 1150 1200 1250 1300
1200 1250 1300 1350 1400 1450
DRY DENSITY AS MOLDED - Kg/m3 DRY DENSITY AS MOLDED - Kg/m3

Figure 4a, pent & CBR of soil sample figure 4b,pent. & CBR of soil with 25% wood ash

D. Shrinkage (swell) limit Test

Swelling test equipment used to monitor the swelling by placing it on the top of
CBR mould and recorded the free swell readings shown in tripod dial gauge under
the seating’s load after 4 days of soaking the results are shown in table.

Sisay kolcha
January 2023 Page 6
 Mattu university dep’t of civil eng’g

DRY DENSITY VS SWELL 1.60 DRY DENSITY VS SWELL

18.00
17.00
1.50
16.00

SWELL - %
15.00
SWELL - %

1.40
14.00
14.5
13.00
1.30
12.00
11.00
1.20
10.00
1.2
9.00
1.10
8.00
7.00
1.00
6.00 1200 1250 1300 1350 1400 1450
1000 1050 1100 1150 1200 1250 1300
DRY DENSITY AS MOLDED - Kg/m3 DRY DENSITY AS MOLDED - Kg/m3

Figure 5a, Swell of soil sample figure 5b, Swell of soil with 25% wood ash

Table 1: Properties of soil sample and soil with 25% percent of wood ash

Test performed Soil sample Soil sample with

25% of wood ash
Optimum moisture 30.2 28.6
content (OMC ) %
Maximum Dry Density 1300 1459
(MDD) Kg/m3
Liquid limit(LL) % 96 48
Plastic limit (PL) % 59 36
Plasticity Index (PI) 37 12
CBR at 95% of MDD (%) 2.2 40.2
Swell at 95% MDD(%) 14.5 1.2

Sisay kolcha
January 2023 Page 7
 Mattu university dep’t of civil eng’g

6, CONCLUSION

In this case study from the summary above , there were noticeable decrease of
liquid limit, plasticity index and swell. And also increase of maximum dry density
(MDD) and California bearing ratio (CBR) of stabilized expansive soil with 25%
of wood ash was used. Therefore wood ash is capable of improving the major
engineering properties of soil.
7, REFERENCES

[1] C. O. Okagbue, “Stabilization of clay using wood ash,” Journal of Materials in

Civil Engineering, vol. 19,

[2] Amin Esmaeil Ramaji., (2012) “A Review on the Soil Stabilization

Using Low-Cost Methods” Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 8(4)

[3 ] Athulya P.V “Stabilization of Subgrade Soil using Additive” -A Case Study

M.Tech Student College of Engineering Trivandrum

Sisay kolcha
January 2023 Page 8