Engineering Behaviour Of Ash-Modified Soils Of Karnataka

Abstract

During a survey of black cotton soil zones of Karnataka, indigenously stabilized black cotton soil deposits were encountered in Belgaum, Bijapur, Bagalkot and Gadag Districts of Karnataka. These modified black cotton soils have low swelling and negligible shrinkage tendencies. Owing to their low volume change potential on moisture content changes, these soils are widely preferred in earth construction activities. The exact origin of these modified black cotton soil deposits is not known. According to anecdotal references, these soils were prepared by mixing unknown proportions of wood ash, organic matter and black cotton soil and allowing them to age for unknown periods of time. As wood-ash was apparently used in their preparation, these modified black cotton soils are referred to as ash-modified soils (AMS) in the thesis.

The practice of preparing ash-modified soils is no longer pursued in black cotton soil regions of Karnataka and the available supply of this indigenously stabilized soil is being fast depleted. Also, attempts have not been made to characterize the physico-chemical and engineering properties of AMS deposits of Karnataka. Given the widespread utilization of ash-modified soils in black cotton soil areas of Karnataka, there is a need to understand their physico-chemical and engineering behaviour and the physico-chemical mechanisms responsible for their chemical modification.

Swelling and shrinkage of expansive soil deposits are cyclic in nature due to periodic climatic changes. Chemically stabilized black cotton soil deposits are also expected to experience cyclic wetting and drying due to seasonal climatic changes. The impact of cyclic wetting and drying on the swelling behaviour of natural expansive soils is well-documented. However, the impact of alternate wetting and drying on the swelling behaviour of admixture stabilized expansive soils (these include natural - ash-modified soils and laboratory - lime stabilized black cotton soils) has not been examined. Such a study would be helpful to assess the long term behaviour of admixture stabilized soils in field situations.

To achieve the above objectives, experiments are performed that study: 1.The physico-chemical and engineering properties of ash-modified soils from different Districts of Karnataka. The physico-chemical and engineering properties of natural black cotton soil (BCS) specimens from locations adjacent to ash-modified soil deposits are also examined to understand and evaluate the changes in the engineering characteristics of the ash-modified soils due to addition of admixtures. 2. Identify the physico-chemical mechanisms responsible for the chemical stabilizationof ash-modified soils. 3.The influence of cyclic wetting and drying on the wetting induced volume changebehaviour of admixture stabilized black cotton soils, namely, ash-modified blackcotton soils and lime stabilized black cotton soils.