Engineering Structural Strength Properties of Lateritic Soil-Cement Mix for Road Pavement Stability

Qualitative construction materials in highway pavement prompted addition of cement at different proportion of 2 - 10% to lateritic soils for enhanced performance. Engineering geological tests were performed on the soil-cement mixture to determine their highway pavement suitability for durable road construction. Furthermore, modelling of the strength characteristics of the mixture presents the correlation between the structural properties and cement mix. Thus, increase in soil-cement California bearing ratio (CBR) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) values with higher cement mix of 8%, revealed enhanced soil improvement. The soil strength is also affected by the curing period. Better quality strength characteristics obtained decreases pavement thickness with reduced cost in road construction. Relationship between the soil strength properties and cement mix content are represented by polynomial model. This reveals stronger bearing capacity of soil cement mix cured in 14 days with R2 ≥ 0.8. The lateritic soil cement mix at 8% cement content could serve as highway subbase and base construction materials. Cement mix having positive effects on soil geotechnical properties are indication of its effectiveness in enhancing volume stability of different soils. Prolong curing time is essential for compacted soil cement mix for enhanced geotechnical engineering properties and to improve the quality of lateritic soil used as road construction materials. Thus, cement-stabilized lateritic soil reduces cost of road construction, its persistent failure, human and environmental losses.