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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM67660
Volume:
10 |
10 |
Oct 2026
Pages:
1-14
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
civil engineering
SSCET Badhani
civil engineering
SSCET Badhani
The disposal of industrial waste materials and the poor engineering behavior of clayey soils are major concerns in geotechnical engineering. Weak clayey soils create significant challenges in construction due to their low strength, high plasticity, and poor load-bearing capacity. Stabilization of such soils is essential to improve their engineering performance and ensure safe and durable infrastructure development. At the same time, the increasing generation of industrial waste materials has raised serious environmental concerns regarding their disposal and management. This study aims to utilize steel slag and silica fume as sustainable stabilizing materials for improving the properties of clayey soil. In this investigation, steel slag was mixed with clayey soil in proportions of 10%, 15%, and 20%, while silica fume was added at 4%, 6%, and 8% by dry weight of soil. A series of laboratory tests were carried out on both natural and stabilized soil samples to examine the changes in geotechnical characteristics. The tests included Atterberg limits, Standard Proctor compaction test, Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) test and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test. The experimental observations showed that the addition of steel slag and silica fume improved the overall behavior of the clayey soil. The treated soil exhibited higher strength and compaction characteristics along with reduced plasticity and permeability. The improvement is mainly due to enhanced particle bonding and the pozzolanic reaction occurring between soil particles and stabilizing materials. The results of this study indicate that steel slag and silica fume can be effectively used as alternative stabilizers for clayey soils. Their application not only improves soil performance but also supports sustainable waste utilization and environmentally friendly construction practices. This method can be adopted for pavement subgrades and other ground improvement applications in geotechnical engineering.
KEYWORDS
5. CONCLUSIONS The experimental study on stabilization of clay soil using steel slag and silica fume has resulted in the following conclusions: 1. The compaction characteristics of clayey soil improved with addition of steel slag and silica fume up to an optimum proportion. The maximum MDD of 18.70 kN/m3 and minimum OMC of 11.40% were obtained at 15% steel slag and 6% silica fume. 2. CBR soaked increased from 1.8% to 4.1% and CBR unsoaked increased from 2.5% to 6.2% at optimum combination. Further addition of silica fume up to 9% resulted in decrease of both CBR values. 3. The UCS increased from 220 kPa to 470 kPa after curing for 7 days with 15% steel slag and 6% silica fume. With the increase of the silica fume content to 9% UCS reduced to 410 kPa. 4. The UCS after 14 days of curing was 570 kPa for 15% steel slag and 6% silica fume compared to 480 kPa for 9% silica fume. This means further strength development with increasing curing time. 5. Above 6% silica fume, the reduction in CBR and UCS indicates that excessive fine material can reduce the efficiency of the stabilization process. 6. 15% steel slag and 6% silica fume was found to be the most preferable mixture in terms of MDD, OMC, soaked and unsoaked CBR and UCS.
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Publication Date
10/5/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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