Impact of cyclic wetting–drying on swelling behavior of lime-stabilized soil

In this study, the impact of cyclic wetting and drying on swelling behavior of lime-stabilized clayey soils has been investigated. Swelling potential and swelling pressure tests have been carried out on soil mixtures with various amounts of kaolinite–bentonite clays, and on a high plasticity clayey soil sample. The tests have been repeated after the addition of lime to the lime-treated samples in different preparation. In each cycle the tested samples were allowed air dry to their initial water content thus shrinking to their initial height, which is called ‘partial shrinkage’ method. The results showed that the initial beneficiary effect of lime stabilization was lost after the first cycle and the swelling potential increased at the subsequent cycles. On the other hand, the swelling potential and the swelling pressure of the untreated soil samples started decreasing after the first cycle and they reached equilibrium after the fourth cycle.