Comparison of compressibility behaviour of lime-cement stabilized lateritic clay soil contaminated by heavy metals

Abstract

The type of stabilizer, heavy metal and soil can typically affect the strength and compressibility development in the treatment of contaminated soils. This is due to the difference in chemical reactions and interferences occurring among the stabilizers, metals, and clay minerals. A standard consolidation test using an oedometer was carried out to investigate the cement-lime induced changes in the compressibility of clay soils contaminated with either copper or zinc. In this study, laterite clay soil obtained from the hilly area at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia was used. Control samples of cement-and lime-stabilized soils without heavy metals were compared with the treated contaminated stabilized soil at various contaminants contents. Such percentage of contaminants means that the soil falls under industrially contaminated soil. To highlight the effect of the two heavy metals on the consolidation behavior of clay samples treated with cement and lime, a comparison has been made at a curing period of 7, 28, 100, and 200 days respectively. It was found that the interference of heavy metals during the process of hydration (cement and lime) contributed directly to the inhibition of the compression development of the tested soil samples. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the type of stabilizer, heavy metal, and soil involved to ensure successfully and remediate treatment.