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Improving the geotechnical properties of high expansive clay using limestone powder

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Abstract

Soils are the most used construction materials in engineering projects, such as embankments, highways, and railways, in which huge amounts of soil are required. Unfortunately, sometimes, these soils are high expansive clay that makes problems to these projects, and at the same time, there are waste and by-product materials such as limestone powder that has not appropriately exploited in Iraq and causes environmental problems. This study aims to investigate the effect of limestone powder on the geotechnical properties such as unconfined compressive strength (UCS), compressibility indices, Atterberg limits, and swelling characteristics of high-plasticity clay (CH) in Erbil city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as this region is rich in limestone rocks. The high expansive clay was treated by different percentages (6%, 12%, 18%, 24%, 30%, and 36%) of limestone powder. The results indicated that the geotechnical properties could be improved by using limestone powder. Also, the optimum percentage of limestone powder that can be added to expansive soil is recommended.

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Acknowledgements

The second and fourth authors thank the Soil Mechanics Laboratory at the Civil Engineering Department of College Engineering, Salahaddin University-Erbil, for their facilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Salahaddin University-Erbil, 44002, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

    Hawkar Hashim Ibrahim, Yousif Ismael Mawlood & Ahmed Mohammed Hasan

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

    Younis M. Alshkane

  3. Koya Technical Institute, Erbil Polytechnic University, Koya, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

    Krikar M. Gharrib Noori

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  1. Hawkar Hashim Ibrahim
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  2. Younis M. Alshkane
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  3. Yousif Ismael Mawlood
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  4. Krikar M. Gharrib Noori
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  5. Ahmed Mohammed Hasan
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Correspondence to Younis M. Alshkane.

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Ibrahim, H.H., Alshkane, Y.M., Mawlood, Y.I. et al. Improving the geotechnical properties of high expansive clay using limestone powder. Innov. Infrastruct. Solut. 5, 112 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-020-00366-z

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