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ABSTRACT
This paper describes the effect of factors on the strength characteristics of cement treated clay
from laboratory tests performed on cement mixed clay specimens. It is considered that several
factors such as soil type, sample preparing method, quantity of binder, curing time, etc. can have
an effect on strength characteristics of cement stabilized clay. A series of unconfined
compression tests have been performed on samples prepared with different conditions. The
results indicated that soil type, mixing method, curing time, dry weight ratio of cement to clay
(A w), and water-clay to cement (wc/c) ratio were main factors which can have an influence on
unconfined compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and failure strain of cement stabilized
clay. Unconfined compressive strength of soil-cement samples prepared from dry mixing method
was higher than those prepared from wet mixing method.
KEYWORDS: Cement Stabilized Clay, Deep Mixing Method, soft clay, unconfined compressive
strength, modulus of elasticity, failure strain.
with different mixing methods and mixing sample preparation in both dry and wet
conditions. Additionally, the effects of other mixing methods. Although some differences
important factors including curing time, dry exist in Scandinavian and Japanese methods,
weight ratio of cement to clay (A w), water- a sample preparation method proposed by
clay to cement (wc/c) ratio, on the strength Japanese Coastal Development Institute of
charcateristics of cement treated clay were Technology (CDIT, 2002) was employed in
also evaluated to provide a better the study.
understanding of the behavior of cement
stabilized clay. In order to investigate several factors
affecting strength characteristics of cement
PROPERTIES OF NATURAL SOFT CLAY stabilized clay, samples were prepared with
Two different types of clays were obtained different conditions as indicated in Table 2.
from Nak-dong river basin. Their physical
and mechanical properties were determined TEST R ESULTS AND DISCUSSION
and compared in Table 1. STRESS-STRAIN CURVES
Stress-strain curves obtained from
Table 1: Properties of natural clays unconfined compression tests on soil-
Properties Clay 1 Clay 2 cement samples cured for 28 days are
Unit weight (kN/m3 ) 17.8 18.2 presented in Figure 1 for various dry weight
Liquid Limit LL(%) 48.0 42.4
ratio of cement to clay (Aw). Samples with
Plastic Limit PL (%) 24.7 27.6
Water Content w(%) 52.7 45.2 higher cement content showed more brittle
Plasticity Index (Ip ) 23.3 14.8 failures. Samples with Aw of 15% and 20%
Liquid Index (IL ) 1.2 1.2 showed brittle failures, where the peak
Specific Gravity 2.61 2.67 strengths achieved at lower strains and their
Grain size distribution
residual strengths were much lower than
Sand 5% 8%
Sieve (% < #200) 95% 92% their peak strengths. On the other hand,
q u (kPa) 41 65 samples with lower Aw showed decreased
Axial failure strain f (%) 9.5 6.5 peak strengths and larger failure strains. It is
E50 (Kpa) 779 1239 also interesting to realize from Figure 1 that
the failure strain tends to decrease with
SAMPLE PREPARATION AND TEST increasing unconfined compressive strength.
CONDITIONS
Normal Portland cement was used for
Table 2: Sample preparation methods and test conditions employed in the study
Initial Additional Modified initial Cement mixed clay paste
Number water water to water content of water-clay to Initial
Test Soil Mixing
of content of cement ratio of natural soil after Dry weight ratio cement content Water
number group Method of cement toclay
samples natural clay cement slurry mixing ratio content
(%) (%) (%) (%) - (%)
Wet 10 45.22 100 55.22 10 5.52 50.20
1 Clay 1
Dry 10 45.22 100 55.22 10 5.52 50.20
6 52.71 100 57.71 5 11.54 54.96
6 52.71 100 60.71 8 7.59 56.21
Wet
2 Clay 2 6 52.71 100 62.71 10 6.27 57.01
method
6 52.71 100 67.71 15 4.51 58.88
6 52.71 100 72.71 20 3.64 60.59
6 52.71 50 57.71 10 5.77 52.46
6 52.71 100 62.71 10 6.27 57.01
Wet
3 Clay 2 6 52.71 150 67.71 10 6.77 61.55
method
6 52.71 200 72.71 10 7.27 66.10
6 52.71 300 82.71 10 8.27 75.19
2000
Aw = 20%
Aw = 15%
1600 Aw = 10%
Aw = 8%
800
400
0
0 1 2 3 4
EFFECT OF MIXING M ETHOD AND CURING specimens prepared from cement powder
TIME than those prepared from cement slurry. 3)
To investigate the effect of mixing methods The strength of soil cement specimens is
on strength characteristics of soil-cement gained as results of physical and chemical
samples, 10 soil-cement samples were reactions between stabilizing agent, clay
prepared with clay 1 by each mixing method minerals, and water including hydration,
as indicated in Table 2. As shown in Figure pozzolanic reaction, ion exchange,
2, the unconfined compressive strength of flocculation, carbonation etc. that were
soil-cement samples mixed by dry mixing dependent of sequence of soil-cement
method was much higher than that by wet mixing, or of mixing method.
mixing method. Furthermore, the rate of
strength gain was appeared to be much Unconfined compressive strength of both
faster for dry mixed samples compared to soil-cement samples tended to develop
wet mixed samples. These differences in rapidly in an early curing stage and the
two mixing methods may be explained by development of strength tended to slow
the reasons hereafter: 1) Hampton and Edil down afterwards. Strength gaining of
(1998) reported that the compaction of wet cement stabilized soil is mainly caused by a
mixed samples was much less uniform than combination of cement hydration and
the dry mixed specimens with the same pozzolanic reaction that are time dependent.
other experiment conditions. 2) The During the pozzo lanic reactions, cementing
specimens prepared from cement powder phases are produced and calcium and
shows a rapid increase in pH value (due to hydroxide ions in solution are constinuously
the hydration of cement) compared to consumed and more must be dissolved to
specimens prepared from slurry cement maintain solution equilibrium. Strengh
(Fam and Santamarina, 1996). This result increase with time reflects the cumulative
associates with the reports of Massaki effects of a cementation process (Locat et
(1996) and Gotoh (1996) that the strength of al., 1990). In the early stage of the curing
soil cement samples increase with increasing period where the pozzolanic reactions are
pH value. Thus, a stiffer structures matrix of mechanically felt as a rapidly increase in
stabilized soil would be formed. strength. During this period, more and more
Combination from these conclusions results efficiency particle or aggregate bonds are
in the higher strength gain of soil cement created by the neoformed minerals. After
exceeding this period, a reduction in the rate For soils stabilized by the wet mixing
of increase of shear strength results from at method, the 28-day unconfined compressive
least three following reasons: i) completion strength, which is typically used for design
of pozzolanic reactions due to exhaustion of value, are generally about 1.5 times the 7-
cement, ii) reactions are still going on but day values, similar to results indicated by
with greater difficulty for solutes to diffuse Yang et al. (1998). The 56-day strengths is
within the soil cement matrix, or iii) reaction approximate 1.2 times the 28-day values or
products are still produced in abundance but 1.8 times the 7-days values of strength.
their effects on strength are not as Similarly, for soils stabilized by the dry
pronounced as in initial stage, since the soil method, the 28-day unconfined compressive
has already a new, more rigid structure. strengths are about 1.7 times the 7-day
values and about 0.8 times the 56 days value
Especially, it can be found from Figure 2b of strength. These test values is into the
that the unconfined compressive strength of range of qu with the change of curing time
soil-cement sample increases almost linearly indicated by Bruce (2000) that the 28-day
with a logarithmic curing time, which is strengths were about 1 to 2 times the 7-day
consistent with data published in literatures values for wet mixing method, whereas this
(Kitazume et al. 2003, and Hayashi et al. difference were about 1.5 to 2.4 times for
2003). Based on the predicted strength gains dry mixing method. The 60-day strengths
in the soil cement specimens, designers may can be 1.2 to 2.5 times the 28-day values for
estimate a time schedule for construction. wet method.
1000 1000
Dry mixing method
Unconfined compressive strength qu (Kpa)
600 600
400 400
30000 3
E 50 (kPa)
20000 2
0 0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 0 200 400 600 800 1000
Unconfined compressive strength q u (kPa) Unconfined compressive strength q u (kPa)
Figure 3: Comparison of test results between wet and dry mixing methods
As shown in Figure 2 also, the unconfined EFFECT OF DRY WEIGHT RATIO OF CEMENT TO
compressive strength of samples after 3 days CLAY, AW (C EMENT CONTENT)
of curing for both dry and wet mixing Bergado et al. (1996) proposed that the
method is about 160 and 259 kPa, relationship between unconfined
respectively, that is much higher than the compressive strength and cement content
unconfined compressive strength of natural can be divided into 3 zones: Inactive Zone,
soft clay sample of 41 kPa. This implies that Active Zone, and Inert Zone as shown in
the recovery of strength of cement mixed Figure 4a. The shapes of the relationship
clay after mixing is progressed very fast curve between qu and Aw presented by
which was also consistent with results Tatsuoka and Kobayashi (1983), and
studied by Shen et al. (2003). This strength Bouazza et al. (2004) were similar to the
recovery is attributed by a combination of curve shown in Figure 4a. However, Lin
cementation (pozzolanic reaction), (2000) proposed a different relationship
exrothemic hydration process. between unconfined compressive strength
and cement content of soil-cement as shown
Figure 3a shows a relationship between the in Figure 4b. This aspect was also
modulus of elasticity and the unconfined investigated in the study to validate these
compressive strength of soil-cement samples two conflicting investigation results.
and Figure 3b shows a relationship between
the axial failure strain and the unconfined The influence of cement content on
compressive strength of soil-cement unconfined compressive strength was
samples. The modulus of elasticity tended to investigated by performing unconfined
increase with increasing unconfined compression tests on soil-cement samples
compressive strength, whereas the failure prepared with clay 2. The ratio of additional
strain tended to decrease with increasing water to cement was fixed at 100%. Soil-
unconfined compressive strength. This cement samples were mixed with Aw of 5%,
implies that soil-cement samples with higher 8%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by wet method.
strength tend to show more brittle failures. All these samples were tested after 7, 14 and
In addition, soil-cement samples using the 28 days of curing and test result was plotted
wet method provided slightly higher in Figure 5. As expected, unconfined
modulus of elasticity whereas soil-cement compressive strength showed a tendency to
samples using the dry method provided increase with increasing cement content.
greater failure strain. This implies that soil- The unconfined compressive strength
cement samples using the wet method tend increased rapidly increased up to the cement
to show more brittle failures compared to content of 20% and then tended to slow
those using the dry method. down. The shape of the relationship was
appeared to be similar to that proposed by
Bergado et al. (1996).
A
a) After Bergado et al. (1996) (b) After Lin (2000)
Figure 4: Comparison of the relationship between qu and Aw of cement stabilized clay
2000
1000
500
0
0 5 10 15 20
Dry weight ratio of cement to clay, Aw (%)
Figure 5: Variation of qu with Aw
EFFECT OF CLAY WATER/CEMENT RATIO The best trend line produced by fitting the
(WC/C) curve to the data is displayed under
Miura et al. (2001) suggested that a prime exponential Equation (1) in which the
factor governing the engineering parameters unconfined compressive strength decrease
of cement-stabilized soil is the clay- with increasing wc/c ratio.
water/cement ratio, wc/c. This is defined as a
the ratio of initial water content of the soil q u = ( wc / c ) (1)
b
(%) to the cement content. The wc/c is a
paramount parameter combining the effects where a and b are constant obtained by
of water content and cement content, which least-squares regression depending on the
is more advantageous than the parameter characteristic of clay, cement and curing
water content. The importance of this ratio time (Nagaraj, 2002). In genaral, R-square
is emphasized by Najaraj (2002) that the values in excess of 0.9 are obtained with this
natural clays, which have different relathionship. The relation shown in
mineralogy, exhibit different strength Equation (1) merits an examination for
characteristics after mixing with cement. engineering evaluation. It should be possible
However, the strength development of a to estimate how far increasing the cement
particular clay-cement mixture after a content can reduce the cutting time. On the
certain curing time is only dependent upon other hand, it should be possible to estimate
the wc/c, which is structural parameter how much cement content is needed for
reflecting both the effects of microfabric and obtaining a required level of strength
their cementation. The denominator Aw corresponding to the curing time and clay
would reflect the level of bonding that could water content.
be induced.
4000
2000
1000
1000
Unconfined compressive strength qu (Kpa)
Clay 2
qu = 212.22 ln(t)+118.76;
800
2
R = 0.9014
600
400
200
Clay 1
2
qu = 86 ln(t)+60.67; R = 0.9412
0
1 10 100
Figure 7. Influence of natural clay type on qu of soil cement mixture cured at 7, 14 and 28 days
A comparison of test results obtained from and 2 under the same conditions of curing
the study with data published in literatures is time, wet mixing method, dry weight ratio
presented in Figure 6. The trend line of cement to clay, and additional water to
obtained from unconfined compressive tests cement ratio. The index properties of two
on soil-cement samples cured for 28 days is clay type were summarized in Table 1. As
fairly consistent with the results reported by shown in Figure 7, unconfined compression
Miura et al. (2001) and Jacobson (2002). testing results of soil cement samples
However, the trend line proposed by prepared from two type of natural clay were
Nagaraj (2002) was appeared to be far off compared each other.
from others. This can be attributed to
differences in the characteristics of natural Each clay has its own mineralogy with
clay such as water content, mineralogy, different physical and chemical properties,
Atterberg limits, organic content, pH value and each of these properties may affect the
etc., and cement type. strength improvement (Gotoh, 1996). To
derive a strength relation that incorporates
EFFECT OF NATURAL CLAY TYPE all relevant factors, especially at a
In this section, the influence of natural clay fundamental level, is ideal and desirable, but
type on unconfined compressive strength of is extremely complicated. Comparison of
soil cement mixture is performed on clays 1 two tests indicated that the unconfined
JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING, DESIGN ANDTECHNOLOGY 122
VOLUME 3 NUMBER 2 2005 ISSN 1726-0531
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON STRENGTH OF CEMENT STABILIZED CLAY
W OO-SIK KIM, NGUYEN M INH TAM & DU-HWOE JUNG
compressive strength of soil cement samples mixing cement columns and unstabilized
made from natural clay 2 is greater than that soil around the columns. Basing on this
made from natural clay 1. This can is interaction, the stability analysis of
explained by several reasons hereafter. structures founded on soft soil improved by
i. Due to difference in water content of soil cement columns system can be
two natural clays, the water content of evaluated. The failure strain has also a large
natural clay 1 is higher of clay 2. influence on the reduction of the bearing
Resulting in the higher unconfined capacity and on the increase of lateral
compressive strength of soil cement displacement of the columns. In this section,
specimens prepared natural clay 2 than the axial failure strain is, therefore,
prepared from natural clay 1. investigated.
ii. This reason can be attributed to the
grain size distribution or clay The relationship between unconfined
mineralogy. The effect of cement compressive strength and failure strain of
gradually increases with decreasing soil cement samples obtained from test
clay content or increasing sand results on unconfined compression tests in
proportion in natural clay. As laboratory is shown in Figure 8. It can seen
indicated in Table 1, the sand from the figure that the failure strain
proportion of clay 2 is 8%, while this decreases in general with increasing
of clay 1 is only 5%. Thereby, the soil unconfined compression strengt and that
cement specimens prepared from clay failure occurs at relatively small axial
2 produced higher unconfined strains, at 1% to 3.5% with a unconfined
compressive strength than those compressive strength largely varies about
prepared from clay 1 in conformity from 100 to 2000 kPa. Similar and
with study of Taki and Yang (1991). consistent results have been reported e.g. by
iii. Bergado et al (1996) also reported that Balasubramanian and Buensuceso (1989),
the effect of cement decrease with Erdil et al. (1991). Besides, the scatter in the
increasing plasticity index of natural relationship between unconfined
soil. The plasticity index of natural compressive strength and axial failure strain
soil clay 1 is 23.3, while this value for is fairly large as axial failure strain is high.
natural soil clay 2 is only 14.76. This scatter is partly due to the variability in
iv. The organic content and pH values are the soil from which the soil cement is
considered to be the most influential derived, different constituent mixing
soil parameters to the strength of soil- proportion of soil cement mixture, type of
cement (Massaki 1996, Gotoh 1996). mixing method, and also degree of mixing,
The strength decreases with increasing or uniformity of soil cement that is
organic content or decreasing pH produced. That is, the higher the uniformity
value. of soil cement, the smaller is the scatter.
v. Another approach is also due to the
difference in chlorite, carbonates, and Compared to the failure strain of natural
sulfates being as reaction inhibitors clay, It can be seen that the axial strain at the
(Locat et al. 1990). Or general peak shear strength of soil cement samples
speaking is that the ground chemistry performed on unconfined compression test
of each site is different will result in was small, about 1% to 3.5%, while this
different implications. value of natural clays ware 9.5 for soil clay
1 and 6.5 for soil clay 2. Therefore, it is
AXIAL FAILURE STRAIN OF SOIL CEMENT important to consider the small failure strain
SAMPLES of the cement columns which will reduce the
Determining the axial train of soil cement interaction of the cement columns with the
mixture at failure state is significant part to unstabilized soil between the columns.
evaluate the interaction between deep
123 JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING, DESIGN ANDTECHNOLOGY
VOLUME 3 NUMBER 2 2005 ISSN 1726-0531
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON STRENGTH OF CEMENT STABILIZED CLAY
W OO-SIK KIM, NGUYEN M INH TAM & DU-HWOE JUNG
5
Clay 1
Wet mixing method
Dry mixing method
4 Clay 2
Different dry weight ratio of cement to clay
1
f (%) = 21.223xqu(-0.3624)
R2 = 0.7212
0
0 500 1000 1500 2000
Unconfined compressive strength qu (kPa)
Figure 8: Relationship between qu and axial failure strain of soil cement samples.