International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics

Volume 119 No. 15 2018, 1377-1389

ISSN: 1314-3395 (on-line version)
url: http://www.acadpubl.eu/hub/
Special Issue
http://www.acadpubl.eu/hub/

Stabilization of Black Cotton Soil by Using Sodium Chloride and Flyash

Ajay Raj.M1, Ganapathy.C 2, Darsi Vinay3, C.Suresh4*.
1,2,3
Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Vel Tech Multi Tech Dr. Rangarajan Dr.Sakunthala Engineering College,
Avadi, Chennai, ajayraj.11096@gmail.com, cganapathy230796@gmail.com, vinaydarsi38@gmail.com
4*
, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Vel Tech Multi Tech Dr. Rangarajan Dr.Sakunthala Engineering
College, Avadi, Chennai, sureshc.struct@gmail.com, Corresponding Author

Abstract: Black cotton soils is one of the Problematic soil that has high potential for
Shrinking or swelling due to change of moisture content. These soils have the tendency to
increase in volume when water is available and decrease in volume when water is available
and decrease in volume when water is removed. The problem in black cotton Soils is that
deformations are significantly greater .These deformation cannot be predicted because
Movement of soils is usually in an uneven manner. At this stage the soil is to be needed
stabilized. The chemical stabilization revealed that strong Electrolytes like sodium chloride
can be used.
Other than the waste materials, fly ash can be used to make the soil stable. Addition of
such materials will increase the physical as well as chemical properties of black cotton soil. Some
expecting properties to be improved are CBR value, liquid limit, plastic limit, unconfined
compressive strength and bearing capacity etc. Black cotton soils were stabilized with various
proportion of NaCl (0, 3, 6, 9&12 %) and fly ash (0, 5, 10, 15& 20 %). In our Project work
experiment will be done by investigating efficiency of sodium chloride and fly ash for improving
the properties of black cotton soil.

Keywords: Flyash, black cotton soil, stabilization.

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 GENERAL:
Expansive soils are called as black
cotton
soil. The name “Black Cotton” as an
Agricultural origin. Most of these soils are
black in colour and are good for growing
cotton. All the black soils are not
expansive soils and all the expansive soils
are not black in colour. These soils passed
high strength in summer and decreased
rapidly in winter. Problematic soil is
known for civil engineers as the soils
which should be studied well before
construct buildings on it.
Behavior of these problematic soils
is different than other soils due the
behavior of its structure condition.
Expansive soil is one type of these
problematic soils which occupies about
20% of the world surface area. Expansive
strata are soil and/or rocks that contain
clay minerals that have potential for
swelling and shrinkage under changing
moisture condition. In order to overcome
this problem research has been carried out
in the different parts of the world, to find

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out the economical and efficient means of
using common salt and fly ash.
Common salt is white in colour and
is in the form of crystals. It is deliquescent
and hygroscopic. It lowers the vapor
pressure of water. It also reduces or prevents
frost heave in soil by lowering the freezing
point of water. It is very effective as dust
palliative. Soil depostis in nature exist in a
extremely erratic manner producing there by
a infinite variety of possible combination
which will affect the strength of the soil and
the procedure to make it purposeful. So in
the particular case of Black cotton soil with
wide range of challenges associated with the
construction. Common salt is easily
available in markets so the transportation
charges will reduced. Fly ash is easily
available in thermal power plant and
economical. Black soil contains a high
percentage of montmorillionite mineral
which imparts expansive behavior to it.
1.1.1 Principles of Soil Stabilization:
 Evaluating the soil properties of
the area under consideration.
 Deciding the property of soil
which needs to be altered to get the
design value and choose the
effective and economical method
for stabilization.
 Designing the Stabilized soil mix
sample and testing it in the lab for
intended stability
and durability values
The stabilization is done for the following
reasons.
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 Soil stabilization is widely used in
connection with road, pavement
and foundation construction.
 It improves the engineering
properties of the soil.
 Strength - to increase
the strength and
bearing capacity.
 Volume stability - to control the
swell-shrink
characteristics caused
by moisture changes.
 Durability-toincreasethe
resistance to erosion,
weathering or traffic
loading to reduce the
pavement thickness as
well as cost.
2. LITRATURE REVIEW:
Sivapullaiah (1996) (8) reported that
the addition of fly ash diminished the
liquid limit of black cotton soils and
deliberate the effect of fly ash on the
index possessions of these soils from
Karnataka, India .The influence of fly
ash is related to particle size
distribution, free lime content and
pozzolanic reactivity of it . The effect
of the coarseness of fly ash particles is
to decrease the activity and plasticity
index of the soil.
Arash hosseini gourabpasi (2015) (5)
reported that use of class c fly ash in
soil stabilization was dependent on the
ash contents ,water
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
contents, compaction delay, strength
development with time and curing
methodology and the type of clay
mineral. Fly ash added various
percentages like (10%, 20%, 30%,
40%, etc) Also the stabilization
characteristics are related to the soil
mineral type and plasticity.
V.R Bharambe and G.K.Patil (2013)
(9) reported that plasticity index
different free swell, and some other
index properties. Ferric chloride is
deliquescent and hygroscopic .it is
lower the vapor pressure of water.it
also reduces or pavements frost heave
in soil by lowering the freezing point
of water. Ferric chloride used was
between 0 to 2% by dry weight soil.
This author reported by black cotton
soil contains a high percentage of
montmorillionite mineral which
imparts expansive.
Erdal Cokca (2001) (2) was studied
effect of fly ash on expansive soil. Fly
ash consists of often hollow spheres of
silicon, aluminum and iron oxides and
unoxidized carbon. There are two major
classes of fly ash, class C and class F.
The former is produced from burning
anthracite or bituminous coal and the
latter is produced from burning lignite
and sub bituminous coal. Both the
classes of fly ash are pozzolans, which
are defined as siliceous and aluminous
materials. Then fly ash can provide an
array of divalent and trivalent cations
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(ca2+, AI3+, Fe3+etc) under ionized
conditions that can
promote flocculation of dispersed clay
particles. Thus expansive soils can be
potentially stabilized effectively by cation
exchange using fly ash. He carried out
investigations using soma fly ash and
tuncbilek fly ash and added it to expansive
soil at 0-25%. Specimens with fly ash were
cured for 7 days and 28 days after which
they were subjected to odometer free swell
tests. And his experimental findings
confirmed that the plasticity index, activity
and swelling potential of the samples
decreased with increasing percent stabilizer
and curing time and the optimum content of
fly ash in decreasing the swell potential was
found to be 20%.
3. MATERIALS
3.1 BLACK COTTON SOIL:
In India deposition of Black cotton soil
is very good and prosperous for farmers.
All the basic amenities of life i.e. Food,
clothes and house have been fulfilled by
the soil, without soil It is just next to
impossible to think about life on the earth.
But on the other side in Civil Engineering
aspects Black cotton soil is very
troublesome and problematic and
hazardous due to its characteristics.
Because of its high swelling and shrinkage
characteristics, the black cotton soil has
been a challenge to the Engineers. The
black cotton soil is very hard when dry but
loses its strength completely when in wet
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
condition. Soil deposits in nature exist in a
extremely erratic manner producing there
by infinite variety of possible combination
which will affect the strength of the soil
and the procedure to make it purposeful.
So in the particular case of Black cotton
soil with wide range of challenges
associated with the construction.
All the Black cotton soils are not
expansive soils and all the expansive soil are
not Black in colour. These soils possessed
high strength in summer and decreased
rapidly in winter. Swelling and shrinkage of
expansive soil cause deferential settlement
resulting in severe damage to the
foundation, buildings, roads, retaining
structures and canal linings. Black cotton
soils are made of varying Properties of
minerals like Montmorinolite and kaolinite,
chemicals like Iron Oxide and Calcium
Carbonate and organic matter like humus.
Montmorinolite is a predominant mineral of
black cotton soils. The swelling and
Shrinkage behavior of black cotton soils
originate mainly from this mineral .Clay
minerals are hydra
silicate of aluminum and magnesium.
They are made of sheets of silica and
aluminum stacked are above the other
forming sheet like structure with
expanding lattice. The structure of some
aluminum is by magnesium ions and the
minerals becomes chemically active. They
attract water molecules (dipoles) and
various types of hydrated cations to the
surface causing the soil to increase the
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volume. Abundance of calcium in black
cotton soils has another feature it may be
present in the form of saturating ions or as
molecules of CaCo3 (kankar). Treatment
with the Sodium about base problem with
B. C. Soil.
Due to their peculiar nature Black
Cotton soils are challenge for engineers
everywhere in the world, and more so in
tropical countries like India because of
wide variation in temperature and because
of distinct dry and wet seasons, leading to
wide variations in moisture content of
soils. The following problems generally
occur in black cotton soil.
a) High Compressibility: Black Cotton
soils are highly plastic and compressible,
when they are saturated. Footing, resting
on such soils under goes consolidation
settlements of high magnitude.
b) Swelling: A structure built in a dry
season, when the natural water content is
low shows differential movement as result
of soils during subsequent wet season.
This causes structures supported by such
swelling soils to lift up and crack.
Restriction on having developed swelling
pressures making the structure suitable.
c) Shrinkage: A structure built at the end
of the wet season when the natural water
content is high, shows settlement and
shrinkage cracks during subsequent dry
season.
d) Permeability: The permeability is
defined as the property of a porous
material which permits the passage or
seepage of water through its
interconnecting voids
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

e) Plasticity: It is defined as the single gigantic molecule of

property of a soil which allows it to be ClNaClNaClNaClNaClNaClNa. When
deformed rapidly, without elastic rebound, salt dissolves, it turns into independent
without volume change. atoms. Salt water is not full of "sodium
f) Compaction: Compaction is a chloride." Instead it is full of sodium
process by which the soil particles and chlorine! The atoms are not
artificially rearrange and packed together poisonous and reactive like sodium
into a closer state of contact by mechanical metal and chlorine gas because they
means in order to decrease the porosity of are electrically charged atoms called
the soil and thus increase its dry density. "ions." The sodium atoms are missing
The black cotton soil for the study has their outer electron. Because of this,
collected from kattupakkam near porur the remaining electrons behave as a
filled electron shell, so they cannot
s.no Property Value easily react and form chemical bonds
1 Liquid Limit 40-60% with other atoms except by electrical
2 Plastic Limit 15-25% attraction. The chlorine has one extra
3 Plasticity 42% electron and its outer electron shell is
Index complete, so like sodium it too cannot
4 Maximum 1.4-1.6 bond with other atoms.
Dry Density g/cc These oppositely charged atoms
5 OMC 20-30% can attract each other and form a salt
6 California 1.75% crystal, but when that crystal dissolves
Bearing in water, the electrified atoms are
Ratio pulled away from each other as the
Table 3.1 Properties of black cotton water molecules surround them, and
soil they float through the water separately.
Common salt is easily available in
3.2 SODIUM CHLORIDE: markets. Sodium chloride has collected
A Colorless or white from avadi market.
crystalline compound NaCl, used in 3.3 FLY ASH:
the manufacture of chemicals and as a Fly ash is a by-product of the
food preservative and seasoning Salt is combustion of pulverized coal in
not made of NaCl molecules. Salt is thermal power plants. The dust-
made of a three-dimensional collection system removes the fly ash,
checkerboard of oppositely charged as a fine particulate residue, from the
atoms of sodium and chlorine. A salt combustion gases before they are
crystal is like a discharged into the atmosphere.

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
It is a silty non-cohesive material
having a relatively smaller specific
gravity than normal
soils. Fly ash is a by-product of the
combustion of pulverized coal in thermal
power plants. The dust-collection system
removes the fly ash, as a fine particulate
residue, from the combustion gases before
they are discharged into the atmosphere.
Fly ash particles are typically
spherical, ranging in diameter from\1 lm
up to 150 lm. The type of dust collection
equipment used largely determines the
range of particle sizes in any given fly ash.
The fly ash from boilers at some older
plants using mechanical collectors alone is
coarser than from plants using electrostatic
precipitators.
The types and relative amounts of
incombustible matter in the coal used
determine the chemical composition of fly
ash. More than 85 % of most fly ashes
comprise chemical compounds and glasses
formed from the elements silicon,
aluminum, iron, calcium, and magnesium.
Generally, fly ash from the combustion of
subbituminous coals contains more
calcium and less iron than fly ash from
bituminous coal. Unburned coal collects
with the fly ash carbon particles, the
amount of which is determined by such
factors as the rate of combustion, the air/
fuel, and the degree of pulverization of the
coal. In general, fly ash from
subbituminous coals contains very little
unburned carbon. Plants that operate only
intermittently (peak-load stations), burning
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bituminous coals, produce the largest
percentage of unburned carbon The
disposal of fly ash is a serious hazard to
the environment that consumes millions of
rupees towards the cost of its disposal.
Now a day fly ash has been used in a
variety of construction applications, such
as compacted fills, concrete, bricks,
construction of embankments in many
countries including India. Fly ash by itself
has a little cementation value but in
presence of moisture it reacts chemically
and forms cementitious compounds and
attributes to the improvements of strength
and compressibility characteristics of soils.
Fly ash of class c –was collected from
Chennai thermal power station.
 Formation of cementitious material by
the reaction of lime with the pozzolans
(Al2O3, SiO2, and Fe2O3) in the
presence of water is known as hydration
of fly ash. Fly ash is a fine-grained
material consisting mostly of spherical
particles. Some ashes also contain
irregular of angular particles. The size of
particles varies depending on the
sources. Talline phases (including C 2S,
C3A, CaSO4,
MgO, free CaO, and C4A3S) has
self-hardening properties. Ettringite,
mono sulphoaluminate hydrate, and
C–S–H cause hardening of the fly
ash when mixed with water.
Hydration behavior of C3A and C2S
in fly ash is the same as that in
cement, but the rate of formation of
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

C–S–H from the glass phase is California bearing

comparatively slow. ratio test
 The hydrated calcium silicate 3.5 MIX PROPORTIONS:
(gel) or Black cotton soil + 0% FLY ASH +
calcium aluminate (fibrous), as 0%NaCl (SAMPLE 1)
cementitious material, can join Black cotton soil + 5% FLY ASH +
inert materials together. The 3%NaCl (SAMPLE 2)
pozzolanic reactions for soil Black cotton soil + 10 % FLY ASH +
stabilization are as follows: 6% NaCl (SAMPLE 3)
CaO + H2O Ca(OH)2 + Heat Black cotton soil + 15%FLY ASH +
++
Ca(OH)2 Ca + 2 (OH) 9% NaCl (SAMPLE 4)
++
Ca + 2 (OH) + SiO2 =CSH Black cotton soil + 20%FLY ASH +
“Calcium silicate hydrate“ 12%NaCl (SAMPLE 5)
(Silica) (Gel) 4. EXPERIMENTAL
++ PROCEDURE
Ca + 2 (OH) + Al2O3 =CAH
“Calcium aluminate hydrate”
(alumina) (fibrous) 4.1 SPECIFIC GRAVITY TEST:
The ratio of the density of a
3.4 METHODOLOGY: substance to the density of some
The following set of experiment is substances (as pure water) taken as a
intended to be carried out; standard when both densities are
1. Specific gravity test obtained by weighing in air.
2. Atterberg
limit Sample 1 G= 2.69
Plastic Sample 2 G=2.65
limit Sample 3 G=2.62
Liquid Sample 4 G=2.57
limit Sample 5 G=2.55
Plasticit Table 4.1 specific gravity
y index
3. Compaction 4.2 LIQUID LIMIT TEST:
characteristics The water content at which soil
Maximum dry passes from the plastic to the liquid state
density Optimum under standard test conditions.
moisture content
4. Strength characteristics Sample 1 48.32%
Unconfined Sample 2 43.25%
compression test Sample 3 38.42%

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Sample 4 32.65% 4.5 UNCONFINED COMPRESION

Sample 5 27.15% TEST:
Table no: 4.2 Liquid limits for different The compressive stress at
proportions which an unconfined cylindrical
specimen of soil will fail in a simple
4.3 PLASTIC LIMIT TEST: compression test. In addition,in this
The moisture content in percent at method ,the unconfined compressive
which a soil will change from a plastic strength is taken as the maximum load
state to a semi solid state. attained per unit area, or the load per unit
area at 15% axial strain,
Sample 1 23.18% whichever occurs first during the
Sample 2 25.12% performance of a test.
Sample 3 26.84% 2
Sample 4 27.32% Sample 1 0.512 N/mm
2
Sample 5 29.12% Sample 2 0.623 N/mm
2
Table no: 4.3Plastic limits for different Sample 3 0.694 N/mm
2
proportions Sample 4 0.752 N/mm
2
4.4 PROCTOR COMPACTION TEST: Sample 5 0.881 N/mm
Proctor compaction test is a Table 4.5 unconfined compressive test
laboratory method of test is to define the
optimal moisture content at which a given 4.6 CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO
soil type will specifically. To determine the TEST:
optimum water content at which soil be The California bearing ratio is a
able to get to its maximum dry density. penetration test for evaluation of the
mechanical strength of natural ground
Soil sub grades and base course beneath new
sample Moisture Dry density carriage way construction. a) CBR
content (%) g/cc values at 5 mm deflection
Sample 1 25.03 1.467 Table 4.6 California bearing ratio
2
Sample 2 24.11 1.652 Sample 1 1.76 N/mm
2
Sample 2 2.18 N/mm
Sample 3 23.36 2.122 2
Sample 3 1.57 N/mm
Sample 4 22.90 1.956 Sample 4 3.12 N/mm
2
Sample 5 21.74 2.231 2
Sample 5 2.90 N/mm
Table 4.4 optimum moisture content and
dry density

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b) CBR values at 2.5 mm

deflection Table 4.6
Moisture
California bearing ratio:
2
content(%)
Sample 1 2.45N/mm 26
2
Sample 2 3.05N/mm
2 24
Sample 3 2.78 N/mm
2
Sample 4 3.98N/mm 22 Moisture
Sample 5 3.54 N/mm content(
%)
20
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS:
5.1 LIQUID LIMIT:

Fig no: 5.3 Variation of OMC (%)

Liquid limit
60 5.4 MAXIMUM DRY DENSITY:
40
20 Liquid
0 limit
Dry
density(g/cc)
Fig no: 5.1Variation of liquid limit 3
2
5.2 PLASTIC LIMIT: 1 Dry
density(g/
cc
Plastic limit 0
)
30
25 Plasti
c
20 limit Fig no: 5.4 variation of dry density

5.5 UNCONFINED COMPRESSION

TEST:
Fig no: 5.2 Variation of plastic limit
UCC(N/mm2)
5.3 OPTIMUM MOISTURE 1
CONTENT: 0.8

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

0.6
0.4 UCC(N/m Fig no: 5.7 Variation of CBR value for
m2
0.2 different ratio
)
0 6. RESULTS:
1. It was observed that liquid limit of
Fig no: 5.5Variation of compression stress black cotton soil has been
parameters decreased from 48.32
5.6 CALIFORNIA BEARING TEST: % to 27.15%
a) CBR values at 5 mm deflection 2. It was observed that plastic limit of
black cotton soil has been
increased from 23.18
CBR(N/mm2) % to 29.12%
4 3. It was observed that maximum dry
density of black cotton soil has
3 3
been increased from 1.467 g/cm
2 3
to 2.231 g/cm
1 CBR(N/mm
4. It was observed that optimum
2)
0 moisture content of black cotton
soil has been decreased from
25.03% to 21.74%
5. It was observed that unconfined
compressive strength of black
Fig no: 5.6Variation of CBR value for cotton soil has been increased from
2 2
different ratio 0.512 N/mm to 0.881 N/mm
b) CBR values at 2.5 mm deflection 6. The maximum CBR value at 5 mm
2
deflection for 3.12 N/mm and
maximum CBR value at 2.5 mm
2
CBR (N/mm2 deflection for 3.98 N/mm
5
5. CONCLUSION:
4
The following conclusions are drawn
3 on the basis of test results obtained on
2 black cotton soil stabilized by NaCl and
1 fly ash
0
sample sample 3 sample sample 1. The materials NaCl and fly ash are
Sample 1 2 4 5
successfully implemented in black
CBR (N/mm2 cotton soil stabilization.

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
2. The properties & strength
characteristics of black cotton soil
& stabilizations are examined.
3. The addition of NaCl (0%, 3%,
6%, 9% &12%) and fly ash (0%,
5%, 10%, 15%,& 20%) was mixed
for the stabilization of black cotton
soil.
4. The liquid limit of the soils
decrease with the addition of NaCl
and fly ash which indicates a
desirable change as a soil +NaCl
+fly ash mix
5. Addition of NaCl and fly ash
brings in an improvement in the
compaction parameters of the
steady soils by increasing the
maximum dry density of soil, with
decrease in the corresponding
values of optimum moisture
content
6. The unconfined compressive
strength of the soil increase upon
the addition of NaCl and fly ash.
The trend of improvement in the
unconfined compression test is
observed to be more pronounced
with the curing of the soil+ NaCl+
fly ash mix
7. We stimulated graph from the
relevant datas from above test.
8. Finally we conclude that the study
of variation of different parameters
viz. specific gravity, liquid limit,
plastic limit, maximum dry density,
optimum moisture content,
unconfined compression test and
California bearing ratio with
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addition of fly ash and NaCl
suggest that, for each parameters of
the steady soil samples, there exists
an optimum fly ash and NaCl
percentage for mixing with the soil
under the consideration, at which
the respective parameters attains it
most desirable values.
REFERENCES:
1. Chen, F. H. (1988), “Foundations on
expansive soils”, Chen & Associates,
Elsevier
Publications,U.S.A.
2. ErdalCokca (2001) “Use Of Class
C Fly
Ashes for the Stabilization – of an
Expansive
Soil” Journal of G3
3. Pandian,N.S.,Krishna,K.C.&Leelavath
amma B., (2002), Effect of Fly Ash on
the CBR
Behavior of Soils , Indian
Geotechnical Conference , Allahabad ,
Vol.1,pp.183-186.
4. Phanikumar B.R.,
&RadheyS.Sharma(2004)
“Effect of fly ash on
Engineering properties of Expansive Soil”
Journal
of Geotechnical and Geo-environmental
Engineering Vol. 130, no 7, July, pp. 764-
767.
5. Arash hosseini gourabpasi
(2015)"Evaluation of the Properties of
Fly Ash for its Use in Geotechnical
Applications ".PhD Thesis, IISC.
Bangalore.
6. Raymond N.Yong and
BennoP.Warkentin
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

(1975)" Soil Properties and Behavior

Elsevier Publications,
U.S.A.eotechnical and Geo-
environmental Engineering Vol. 127,
July, pp. 568- 573.7) O. C. McDowell,
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(2007)
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Varghese.P.C (2005),”Foundation
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9. V.R. Bharambe, G.K. Patil (2013)
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Ferric Chloride” IOSR Journal of
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Engineering(IOSR-JMCE)

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