1

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL

 STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT
OF KUTTANAD SOIL.

GUIDED BY GROUP MEMBERS

RESHMI.G SUDARSANA (51)
ASST. PROFESSOR GREESHMA.V (49)
DEPT. OF CIVIL NITHYA.V. RAJEEV (50)
SBCE, ELAVUMTHITTA SHILPA SHAJI (41)

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 2

 OUTLINES

 Introduction  Methodology

 Aim  P r e l i mi n a r y i n v e s t i g a t i o n
 Objectives
 Te s t s o n u n t r e a t e d s o i l
 Significance
 Te s t s o n t r e a t e d s o i l
 Need and scope
 Wo r k p l a n
 Literature review
 References

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 3

 INTRODUCTION

• Kuttanad is a small region covering Alappuzha district

• Area about 1100 sq.km in Kerala and ground surface below sea level

• Soil was collected from Kainakary village of Kuttanad

• Soil in this region is very soft, highly compressible, and contain high
organic content

• High natural moisture content and low shear strength

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 4

• Poor foundation material

• These properties severely affected the strength characteristics of the soil

• The main parameter that affects the soil strength is the soil plasticity and
moisture content

• These clay based soil makes life in this region miserable especially in the
rainy season and during natural calamities

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 5

 AIM

• To determine the soil characteristics of the soil and increase the

strength characteristics with the addition of optimum content of
pozzolanic materials viz. lime and fly-ash.

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 6

 OBJECTIVE

• To determine the basic properties of Kuttanad soil

• To study the strength behaviour of Kuttanad soil reinforced with lime and
fly-ash

• To study the variation in strength behaviour of Kuttanad soil reinforced

with lime and fly-ash

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 7

 SIGNIFICANCE

• The soil of Kuttanad which has very poor shear strength makes the
building and other constructions there very much prone to collapse and
damages

• Therefore increasing the strength of such a soil is a necessity

• Such an increase makes the life and stability less vulnerable

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 8

 NEED AND SCOPE

• Using modified pozzolanic materials to increase the strength of the soil

thereby increasing stability

• Ensuring longer life and safety of people and their lives

• Improved resistance against natural disasters and other damages due to

clay based soil

• Bringing up the economy

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 9

 LITERATURE REVIEW
Sl. Book Name Author Name Content
No
1 Study on Strength and Balasubramaniam Strength and
Deformation Characteristics of A.S, and Yang W.C Deformation
Kuttanad clay using Lime Characteristics of Lime
Treated Soft Clays
2 Stabilization of Kuttanad soil Dr. Robert M Brooks Soil Stabilization with
using Fly Ash and Rice Husk Fly Ash and Rice Husk
Ash Ash
3 Experimental study on kuttanad Ramesh H.N. Strength Performance of
clay soil using Lime and Lime and Sodium
Sodium hydroxide treated Coir hydroxide treated Coir-
Fibre Fibre Reinforced Soil
4 Effect of Stabilization Using Oormila.T.R & Strength improvement of
Flyash and GGBS in Soil T.V.Preethi Kuttanad soil using Fly
Characteristics Ash and GGBS
Sl. No Book Name Author Name Content

5 Experimental Study on Amit Tiwari, H.K Stabilization of Black

Stabilization of Black Mahiyar Cotton Soil by Fly Ash
Cotton Soil by Fly Ash Coconut Coir Fibre &
Coconut Coir Fibre & Crushed Glass
Crushed Glass

6 Stabilization of Expansive Serin Issac and Neethu Soil Stabilization with Lime
Kuttanad clay using Lime Elizabeth John treated Rice straw fibres
treated Rice straw fibres

7 A Study on the Effect of Umadevi.S , Hashifa Improvement of Load

Rice Husk Ash & Lime on Hassan Bearing Capacity of
the Properties of Soft Clay Kuttanad soil using Rice
Husk Ash and Lime
 METHODOLOGY

SPECIFIC GRAVITY,SIEVE
ANALYSIS,UCC,STANDARD
LITERATURE SURVEY PROCTOR TEST ON
UNTREATED SAMPLE

DATA SOIL TREATMENT

COLLECTION

STANDARD PROCTOR
SAMPLE COMPACTION TEST,UCC,VANE
COLLECTION SHEAR TEST ON TREATED
SOIL

MATERIAL COLLECTION FINDING OPTIMUM % OF

ADDITIVES
STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL
12
 SOIL COLLECTED FROM
KAINAKARY-KUTTANAD

Fig.1 sample soil

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 13
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

• Very hard when dry, but loses its strength completely when in wet condition

• Contain mineral-montmorrilonite, capable of absorbing water and so volume

increases

• Major volume change causes major damage to the structures constructed over
it

• Either these soils are removed / replaced by good quality material or treated
using additive – stabilization

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 14

 WORKS DONE

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 15

 WORKS DONE ON UNTREATED
SOIL

1) Sieve analysis
2) Atterberg’s limit
3) Specific gravity
4) Proctor compaction test
5) Unconfined Compression Test

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 16

 SIEVE ANALYSIS

o The size distribution curves, as obtained from

coarse and fine grained portions, can be
combined to form one complete grain-size
distribution curve (also known as grading
curve)

o Using IS sieves : 4.75mm, 2.36mm, 1.18mm,

600µ, 300µ, 150µ and pan

o A typical grading curve is shown in figure Fig.2 typical grading curve

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 17

 Particle size distribution curve

100

90

80

70
% finer (%)

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0.01 0.1 particle size (mm) 1 10

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 18

 Particle Size Value
D10 (1) 0.18

D30 (2) 0.275

D60 (3) 0.38

Cu (3)/(1) 2.11

Cc 1.105
(2)2/((1)X(3))

D60 = size at 60% finer by weight D30 = size at 30% finer by weight
D10 = size at 10% finer by weight Cu = co-efficient of uniformity
Cc = co-efficient of curvature

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 19

 SPECIFIC GRAVITY

 Used Pycnometer for specific gravity

determination

 Specific gravity of the soil was found

to be 2.18

Fig.3 Pyconometer

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 20

 ATTERBERG’S LIMIT

 LIQUID LIMIT

• Found out using Casagrande’s apparatus

• moisture content at which the groove, formed by a standard tool into the
sample of soil taken in the standard cup, closes for 10 mm on being
given 25 blows in a standard manner

• Liquid limit of sample = 60%

21
 Fig.4 Casagrande’s Apparatus

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 22

 FLOW CURVE
100

90

80
water content(%)

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
no. of blows

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 23

  PLASTIC LIMIT

• Plastic limit is a test that involves rolling out a thread of the fine portion of
a soil on a flat, non-porous surface

• If the soil is at a moisture content where its behavior is plastic, this thread
will retain its shape down to a very narrow diameter

• Determined plastic limit=33.33%

• Plasticity index PI= (LL-PL) =26.67

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 24

 Fig.5 Threads are made from 20g sample and about
3g threads are oven dried to measure water content

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 25

 PROCTOR COMPACTION TEST

• Determine the optimal moisture content at

which a soil become most dense and
achieve max dry density
• Proctor compaction apparatus used
• Optimum moisture content = 16.26%
• Maximum dry density=1.83g/cc
Fig.6 Proctor compaction
apparatus

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 26

 dry density
1.96

1.94

1.92

1.9
Dry density (g/cc)

1.88

1.86

1.84

1.82

1.8

1.78

1.76
0 5 10 15 20 25

Water content (%)

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 27

 UNCONFINED COMPRESSION
TEST
• Measure of consistency of a cohesive soil

• Cylindrical specimen tested under axial

compressive stress without any lateral stress

• No water allowed to drain during test

• Split mould size: 38mm diameter, 76mm long

Fig.7 Unconfined compression
• Unconfined compressive strength qu = 0.41 kg/mm2 strength apparatus

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 28

 Stress-strain curve
0.6

0.5

0.4
stress (kg/mm2)

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
strain (%)

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 29

 SAMPLE PROPERTIES
PROPERTY SAMPLE 1

SOIL COLOUR Brownish black

SPECIFIC GRAVITY 2.18

% OF GRAVEL 2.8

% OF SAND 96.4

% FINES 0.8

OMC (%) 11.11

MDD (g/cc) 1.95

UCS (kg/mm2) 0.41
STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 30
 PROPOSED SOIL TREATMENT

 The collected soil was at first treated by replacing 5% of sample

with lime and tests were carried on the treated soil .Similarly tests
were done on sample replaced viz. 10% and finally 15%.

 Optimum % of lime is found out and fly-ash is added in the same

way lime was added and also optimum is determined.

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 31

 ADDITIVES USED

FLY-ASH LIME COIR - FIBRE

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 32

 WHY LIME, FLY-ASH & COIR-
FIBRE

 Industrial waste materials-no production cost

 Economical
 Saves construction cost
 Often been dumped as a waste industrial byproducts- causes pollution-
offers solution for disposal problem
 Easily available

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 33

 SOIL TREATMENT

LIME FLY-ASH
 5% lime + 95% sample  5% fly-ash + 95% optimum
treated soil
 10% lime + 90% sample
 10% fly-ash + 90% optimum
 15% lime + 85% sample
treated soil

 15% fly-ash + 85% optimum

treated soil

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 34

 LIME TREATMENT

TESTS DONE
LIME ADDITION
1. Proctor compaction test
1. 5% lime
2. Unconfined Compression
2. 10% lime
test
3. 15% lime

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 35

 5% LIME

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 36

 COMPACTION CURVE
1.8

1.75
dry density (g/cc)

1.7

1.65

1.6

1.55
10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
water content (%)

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 37

 STRESS – STRAIN CURVE
1

0.9

0.8

0.7
Stress (kg/mm2)

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6
Strain (%)

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 38

 10% LIME

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 39

 COMPACTION CURVE
2

1.8

1.6

1.4
dry density (g/cc)

1.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
5 10 15 20 25 30
water content (%)

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 40

 STRESS-STRAIN CURVE
0.7

0.6

0.5
stress (kg/mm2)

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
strain (%)

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 41

 15% LIME

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 42

 COMPACTION CURVE
2

1.8

1.6

1.4
dry density (g/cc)

1.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
water content (%)

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 43

 STRESS-STRAIN GRAPH
0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5
stress (kg/mm2)

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
strain (%)

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 44

 REFERENCE

[1]Kaniraj S R, Havanagi V G. Compressive strength of Cement Stabilized Fly-ash soil

mixtures. Cement and concrete Res.,1999,29(5):673-677.
[2]Nelson J D, Miller D J. Expansive Soils, Problems And Practice In Foundation and
Pavement Engineering. New York:Wiley,1992
[3]Kaniraj S R, Havanagi V G. Geotechnical Characteristics Of Fly-Ash Soil Mixtures.
Geotechnical Engineering Journal, , 1999 30(2):129-147
[4]Usmen M A, Baradan B, Yazicis. Geotechnical And Geo-environmental Properties Of
Stabilized Lignite Flyash. Proc. Mediterranean Conf. On Envir. Geotechnology. Usmen M A,
Acar Y B eds. Rotterdam: Balkema, 1992:419-427
[5]Cokca E. Use Of Class C Fly Ashes For The Stabilization Of An Expansive Soil.
Journal Of Geotechnical And Geo Environmental Engineering, 2001, 127(7):568-57

STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF KUTTANAD CLAY BASED SOIL 45