Methods and Materials for Soil Stabilization

Excavation accidents which kill construction workers is due to poorly stabilized soil. However, this should not be the case if the worksite soil is very stable enough to operate machinery in minus the risk of cave-ins.

Below are some of the materials and methods that can help stabilize the soil in a construction site.

Let us look first at the different stabilization materials.

If the soil is highly plastic or clay-like, then you should use slaked lime. When adding slaked lime, the soil is strengthened and stabilized. It greatly helps to take away water from the soil so that it becomes more compact.

Another stabilization material for soil which is very popular is cement. Whatever types of soil you are working on, you can use cement to stabilize it. To improve stabilization, other materials such as sodium sulfate, lime or fly ash can be added to the cement.

Soil coherence which reduces the absorption of water and makes the soil more stable can be achieved using bituminous materials such as tar and asphalt. Using these materials can prevent soil erosion.

You can add chemicals to the soil to improve stability. The chemicals used include calcium chloride, sodium chloride, and sodium silicate. With these, the soil becomes compact and it becomes more stable. They help increase the retention of water of the soil so that there is better sticking of particles together.

Fabrics or geotextiles can be used in building up of the soil. They have pores and you have different options depending of the project type you are doing and the soil type you are working with.

A good example of geotextile is the EnviroGrid manufactured by Geo Products. These heavy duty cells prevent the filler material from lateral movement. Because of their excellent drainage, they can be used in wet areas.

Here are some soil stabilization methods you can use.

In soil stabilization’s most common method, the stabilizing material is mixed in the soil. You should mix the additive in the correct percentage with the quantity of soil there is.

You should also be concerned about the depth of the soil. It is important to have enough depth for the materials to do their job. It is important to have a deeper mixture of stabilizing materials if the earth is loose.

Grouting is a more expensive option for soil stabilization. This is used in buried areas of the earth which does not allow mixing it with the materials. In grouting, the stabilizers are injected into the soil where it permeates and mixes and create a more compacted and stronger area.

Electrical stabilization is another method of soil stabilization which is very expensive. if the soil is clay-like then the best method of soil stabilization is electrical stabilization. When using electrical stabilization, metal electrodes are inserted into the earth. It involves running current through the electrodes and it results in water moving towards them. The soil becomes more compact when water is removed from it. The safety of construction vehicles is ensured with more sturdy
soil.

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