Regeneration, Lime – cement stabilization and soil consolidation
Lime and/or cement stabilization has its main field of application in soil consolidation, especially loamy or clayey ones, as well as landfill, in order to obtain laying surfaces and/or embankments with high load-bearing capacities.
This type of soil stabilization replaces the traditional method of removing and disposing of waste materials with high clayey components (considered waste) and replacing them with aggregates, which are increasingly expensive and scarcely available.
Lime stabilization is mainly used for the following:
- Formation of embankments for roads, motorways, airports, railways, car parks and industrial yards;
- Reclamation of landfills and industrial areas;
- Cycle paths and sports facilities;
- Formation of load bearing wear layers;
- Banks and beds for canals or rivers;
- Regeneration;
- Cold asphalt.
Right method to obtain reinforced soils
Soil lime treatment has been widely tested and used for decades in many countries such as Germany, France and the United States.
Soil consolidation with lime and/or cement facilitates the use of soils deemed to be unsuitable for the formation of embankments in general (e.g. clayey and/or loamy materials) simply by treating the material itself on site.
Lime stabilization results are remarkable both in a short and long term thanks to the continuous reactions triggered by the lime.
The main advantages are:
- Significant increase in the load bearing capacity of the treated soil;
- Cutting down the action of water with clayey-lime materials;
- Increased resistance to erosion and freeze-thaw action;
- Removal of fine clay particles in the treated soil layer;
- Increased workability level of treated soil.
Preliminary phase of land consolidation
Before proceeding with soil stabilisation, it is necessary to study the soil in question to identify its suitability and the correct mixture formulation to be used.
- The soil grain size curve identification;
- Its geotechnical characteristics evaluation (Atterberg limits; Proctor test);
- Selection of the suitable binder (lime / cement) and percentages to be used;
- Study of suitable mixtures.
Executive phase: lime or cement stabilization processes
After this preliminary assessment stage, we proceed to the enforcement stage:
- Spreading the binding agent (spreading);
- Mixing the binder with the soil;
- Compacting the soil-binder mixture (compacting).