Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

INTRODUCTION

Soil cement is a construction material, a mix of pulverized natural soil with

small amount of portland cement and water, usually processed in a tumble,
compacted to high density. Hard, semi-rigid durable material is formed by
hydration of the cement particles. Soil cement is frequently used as a construction
material for pipe bedding, slope protection, and road construction as a sub base
layer reinforcing and protecting the sub grade. It has good compressive and shear
strength, but is brittle and has low tensile strength, so it is prone to forming cracks.
Soil cement mixtures differs from Portland cement concrete in the amount of paste
(cement-water mixture). While in Portland cement concretes the paste coats all
aggregate particles and binds them together, in soil cements the amount of cement
is lower and therefore there are voids left, and the result is a cement matrix with
nodules of uncemented material.

Soil-cement is a highly compacted mixture of soil/aggregate, cement, and

water. It is widely used as a low-cost pavement base for roads, residential streets,
parking areas, airports, shoulders, and materials-handling and storage areas. Its
advantages of great strength and durability combine with low first cost to make it
the outstanding value in its field. A thin bituminous surface is usually placed on the
soil-cement to complete the pavement. Soil-cement is sometimes called cement-
stabilized base, or cement-treated aggregate base. Regardless of the name, the
principles governing its composition and construction are the same.

Dept. of Civil Engg. 1 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

WHAT IS SOIL CEMENT

Soil cement is a construction material, a mix of pulverized natural soil with

small amount of portland cement and water, usually processed in a tumble,
compacted to high density. Hard, semi-rigid durable material is formed by
hydration of the cement particles.

Dept. of Civil Engg. 2 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

WHY USE SOIL-CEMENT

Failing granular-base pavements, with or without their old bituminous mats,

can be salvaged, strengthened, and reclaimed as soil-cement pavements. This is an
efficient, economical way of rebuilding pavements. Since approximately 90 percent
percent of the material used is already in place, handling and hauling costs are cut
to a minimum. Many granular and waste materials from quarries and gravel pits can
also be used to make soil-cement; thus high-grade materials are conserved for other
purposes.

Highway and city engineers praise soil-cement’s performance, its low first
cost, long life, and high strength. Soil-cement is constructed quickly and easily – a
fact appreciated by owners and users alike.

Dept. of Civil Engg. 3 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

HOW IS SOIL-CEMENT BUILT

Before construction begins, simple laboratory tests establish the cement

content, compaction, and water requirements of the soil material to be used. During
construction, tests are made to see that the requirements are being met. Testing
ensures that the mixture will have strength and long-term durability. No guesswork
is involved.

Dept. of Civil Engg. 4 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

PERFORMANCE OF SOIL CEMENT

Soil-cement thicknesses are less than those required for granular bases
carrying the same traffic over the same subgrade. This is because soil-cement is a
cemented, rigid material that distributes loads over broad areas. Its slab-like
characteristics and beam strength are unmatched by granular bases. Hard, rigid soil-
cement resists cyclic cold, rain, and spring-thaw damage. Cement stabilizes soil in
two ways. First, it reduces soil plasticity, especially for the soil in which there is
high amount of clay particles.

Soil-cement can be mixed in place or in a central mixing plant. Central

mixing plants can be used where borrow material is involved. Friable granular
materials are selected for their low cement requirements and ease of handling and
mixing. Normally pugmill-type mixers are used. The mixed soil-cement is then
hauled to the jobsite and spread on the prepared subgrade.

Compaction and curing procedures are the same for central-plant and mixed-
in-place procedures. There are four steps in mixed-in-place soil-cement
construction; spreading cement, mixing, compaction, and curing. The proper
quantity of cement is spread on the in-place soil material.

Then the cement, the soil material, and the necessary amount of water are
mixed thoroughly by any of several types of mixing machines. Next, the mixture is
tightly compacted to obtain maximum benefit form the cement. No special
compaction equipment is needed; rollers of various kinds, depending on soil type,
can be used. The mixture is cemented permanently at a high density and the
hardened soil-cement will not deform or consolidate further under traffic.

Curing, the final step, prevents evaporation of water to ensure maximum

strength development through cement hydration. A light coat of bituminous
material is commonly used to prevent moisture loss; it also forms part of the

Dept. of Civil Engg. 5 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

bituminous surface. A common type of wearing surface for light traffic is a surface
treatment of bituminous material and chips .5- to .75-inch thick. For heavy-duty use
and in severe climates a 1.5-inch asphalt mat is used. Contractors bidding on soil-
cement jobs know that construction will be relatively easy and problem-free;
weather delays rare; and reworking of completed sections unnecessary.

The second is cementation which is very important because clay is not its
main composition. In fine grained silty and clayey soils, the hydration of cement
develops strong linkages between the soil aggregates to form a matrix that
effectively encases the soil aggregates. Old soil-cement pavements in all parts of
the continent are still giving good service at low maintenance costs. Soil-cement
has been used in every state in the United States and in all Canadian provinces.

Specimens taken from roads show that the strength of soil-cement actually
increases with age; some specimens were four times as strong as test specimens
made when the roads were first opened to traffic. This reserve strength accounts in
part for soil-cement’s good long-term performance.

Dept. of Civil Engg. 6 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

TYPES OF SOIL CEMENT

Cement-modified soils (CMS)

A cement-modified soil contains relatively small proportion of Portland

cement. The result is caked or slightly hardened material, similar to a soil, but with
improved mechanical properties - lower plasticity, increased bearing ratio and
shearing strength, and decreased volume change.

Soil-cement base (SCB)

A soil-cement base contains higher proportion of cement than cement-

modified soil. It is commonly used as a cheap pavement base for roads, streets,
parking lots, airports, and material handling areas. Specialized equipment, such as a
soil stabilizer and a mechanical cement spreader is usually required. A seal coat is
required in order to keep moisture out. For uses as a road construction material, a
suitable surface coating, usually a thin layer of asphalt concrete is needed to reduce
wear.

In comparison with granular bases, soil cement bases can be thinner for the
same road load, owing to their slab-like behavior that distributes load over broader
areas. In-place or nearby located materials can be used for construction - locally
found soil, stone, or reclaimed granular base from a road being reconstructed. This
conserves both material and energy.

The strength of soil-cement bases actually increases with age, providing

good long-term performance.

Cement-treated base (CTB)

A cement-treated base is a mix of granular soil aggregates or aggregate

material with Portland cement and water. It is similar in use and performance to
soil-cement base.
Dept. of Civil Engg. 7 GPTC Mananthavady
Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

1. Low First Cost

Soil-cement is often more economical to construct than bases through the

use of soil material on or near the commercial paving site any in-place non-organic,
low plasticity soils can be used. Also, nearby borrow soil can provide an excellent
material source, requiring lower cement contents than clay and silt soils. Borrow
soils do not have to be expensive base-course material; almost any granular
material is suitable.

2. Fast Construction

Modern methods and equipment make soil-cement processing simple and

efficient. In-place soils are processed at the paving site. When borrow soil is
used,itn is usually mixed in a central plant the borrow source, the hauled to the
paving site to be compacted. Finished to grade, and cured. There is no mellowing
period or other delays in the construction process. In addition, soil- cement is stable
immediately after construction and gains strength rapidly.

3. Recycling of Existing Materials.

Making good soil-cement out of old flexible pavement is nothing new; it has
been done for years. Failed flexible pavements contain materials that can be
salvaged economically by recycling-breaking them up, pulverizing them, and
stabilizing them a minimum quantity of Portland cement to make a new soil-cement
base. There is no disposal problem as is commonly found when old pavements are
dug out. Since approximately90% of the material used is already in place, handling
and hauling costs are cut to a minimum. Many granular and waste materials from
quarries and gravel pits can also be used to make soil-cement, thus conserving
high-grade materials for other purposes.

Dept. of Civil Engg. 8 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

ENGINEERING BENEFITS

1. Stiffness

Soil-cement is a low-cost pavement base offering the feature most essential

for long-lasting parking and storage areas-stiffness. Large paved areas must
maintain their original grade and must not develop depressions or potholes if they
are to drain freely during rains, thereby preventing puddles and damage from water
that seeps through and weakens the underlying soil.The stiffness of a cement-
stabilized base acts to distribute loads over a wider area,reducing subgrade stresses
and allowing the maintain its original grade for many years without costly
resurfacing or repairs.

Dept. of Civil Engg. 9 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

ADVANTAGES OF SOIL CEMENT

 Widely available resources

 Cheap and highly economical

 Maintenance cost is less

 Better weather resistant and strength

 Can be employed for small works

 Soil swelling can be reduced

DISADVANTAGES

 Quantity of water must be checked

 Formation of cracks

 Not suitable for some soils

 Proper supervision needed

Dept. of Civil Engg. 10 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

APPLICATIONS OF SOIL CEMENT

Soil cement is mainly employed in pavement construction for:

 City or country roads

 Airports pavements

 Parking lots

 Interstate highways

Dept. of Civil Engg. 11 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

Dept. of Civil Engg. 12 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

Dept. of Civil Engg. 13 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

SOIL CEMENT CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

As in any construction procedure, the materials are subjected to a laboratory

test to study the activity and characteristics of each material. This is to establish the
cement content, the water requirement of the soil, which in turn would help us to
know the compaction efficiency.

Even though the material is found to be cheap, no mind work is performed.

All the calculations are made based on specific tests. This would ensure attainment
of strength as well as long term durability.

The three basic processes involved in construction with soil cement:

 Mixing
 Compacting
 Curing

Mixing

The mixing of soil cement mixture is done at a central mixing plant. The
final mixture is conveyed to the job site and laid over the already prepared sub-
grade level (For a pavement construction).

Cement Laid Over Prepared Soil Subgrade

When the soil cement preparation is done at the site, there are four stages
Dept. of Civil Engg. 14 GPTC Mananthavady
Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

 Cement spreading

 Mixing

 Compaction

 Curing

First, a proper quantity of cement is being spread over the soil. They are mixed
homogeneously. Then measured water is added and mixed thoroughly. The mixing
can be done by several hands mixing equipment or machines.

Compaction

Next is compaction of the whole mixture by normally used compaction equipment.

The compaction must be performed with high precision to bring the maximum
advantage of the cement used.

Once done, the whole mixture layer is cemented permanently at a very high
density. This won’t let the soil to undergo further consolidation or settlement under
huge traffic.

Soil Cement Composition Compaction by Rollers

Dept. of Civil Engg. 15 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

Curing

The last step is curing which is performed to prevent evaporation of water to

the atmosphere. Only adequate amount of water will enable proper cement
hydration. For this, a bituminous coating is laid over the layer and would act as a
bituminous surface. The thickness of the layer can be increased if the pavement is
constructed in an area with huge traffic.

Dept. of Civil Engg. 16 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

SOIL CEMENT TESTS

Laboratory tests determine three fundamental control factors for soil-cement.

These factors are as follows:

1. Proper cement content

2. Proper moisture content

3. Roper density

Adequate cement content is the first requisite for quality soil-cement. Well
before construction, the soils at a project site should be identified, the limits of each
soil defined, and a representative sample of each soil type should be forwarded to
the laboratory to determine the quantity of cement required to harden it. A soil
survey of the construction area should be made. Proper soil surveying,
identification, and sampling are important. For instance, if one soil type was
sampled and tested while actual construction involved a different soil type, the tests
would be worthless and, in fact, detrimental since they would mislead the
engineers. Obviously, it is important to sample and test the soils that will actually
be used in soil-cement construction. A 75-pound sample of each type of soil is
adequate for laboratory testing. Sampling methods and procedures are discussed in
the EA3 TRAMAN and in NAVFAC MO-330. Soil samples are usually
taken from a graded roadway by digging a trench from the center line to the
edge of the proposed pavement and to the depth of processing. Soil samples for
proposed roadways not yet graded are taken with an auger from the various soil
horizons of each soil type from the “dressed-down” face of exposed cuts or from
the surface. Samples should be taken so that only one horizon of each soil type is
represented by each sample. Similarly, it is not good practice to take a
composite sample from various locations. Data obtained from a composite
sample does not apply to soil in any single location and may be misleading.

Dept. of Civil Engg. 17 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

There are exceptions. For instance, in sampling pit material that is to be loaded
during construction by a shovel operating over the vertical face of the pit, the
sample is taken from the bottom to the top of the vertical face after the
overburden is removed. On small projects, it is not uncommon to sample only
the poorest soil on the job, and the cement content for this sample is used
throughout the job. Be sure that complete identification is supplied with each
sample.

The purpose of laboratory testing is to determine the minimum cement

content needed to harden the material adequately and the optimum moisture
content (OMC) and density values to be used for construction. The OMC and
maximum density are determined by the moisture-density test and the required
cement content is determined by either the wet-dry test for pavements located in
nonfrost areas or the freeze-thaw test for pavements located in frost areas. A brief
description of each test is provided below. . The moisture-density test determines
the OMC and maximum density for molding laboratory specimens and, in
the field, to determine the quantity of water to be added and the density to
which the soil-cement mixture should be compacted.

Dept. of Civil Engg. 18 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

CONCLUSION

As a Civil Engineer our aim is economy without losing strength. Hence soil
cement is best choice for low traffic pavements soil cement bricks are eco-friendly
with nature.

The use of soil-cement can be of great benefit to both owners and users of
commercial facilities. Its cost compares favorably with that of granular-base
pavements. When built for equal load carrying capacity, soil cement is almost
always less expensive than other low cost site treatment or pavement method. The
use or reuse of in-place or nearby borrow materials eliminates the need for hauling
of expensive, granular- base materials, thus both energy and materials are
conserved. It is not only benefit to the human but also benefit to the environment.

The crushed rock production process consumes a considerable amount of

energy for mining, transportation, burning and which contributes to the total CO2
emission to the atmosphere. The environmental issues to be addressed include the
need to reduce the level of CO2 emissions. The major engineering benefits if soil
cement roads are increased strength, better volume stability and increased
durability.

Dept. of Civil Engg. 19 GPTC Mananthavady

Seminar Report 2018-19 Soil Cement

REFERENCE

 "Cement-Modified Soil (CMS)" Portland Cement Association accessed

March, 16 2015

Dept. of Civil Engg. 20 GPTC Mananthavady