Lime Stabilization of Expansive Clay Soil of Jimma Town, Ethiopia

The engineering properties of stabilized soils are varied for many factors such as soil heterogeneity, soil composition, soil structures, geological conditions, and the difference of interaction between the soil and stabilizers. These variations required the consideration of stabilization at a specific site option. These natural materials, therefore, critically influence the success of a construction project. The reason for this study was to quantify the improvements achieved in the engineering properties of expansive soils due to lime stabilization. This study considered quantitative experimental to determine lime-stabilized expansive clay soil’s engineering properties using a laboratory program. Laboratory tests were to determine Atterberg Limits, compaction test, free swell test, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and pH values of the mixtures. The collected soil samples were stabilized using 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8% of hydrated lime by weight. The optimum lime for the stabilization of expansive soils was 5% using hydrated lime. As percentages of hydrated lime increased, there were improvements in stabilized subgrade soil properties. The more significant upgrade in engineering properties was observed on California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and lower improvements were on maximum dry density. The result indicated that the stabilizer is very effective in improving strength parameters than index parameters. The hydrated lime stabilized soils under the optimum ratio fulfill the standard requirements as subgrade soils.