Effect of RBI Grade-81 on Geotechnical Properties of Black Cotton Soil

Soil stabilization is a major concern in India where the civil engineering infrastructure is developing at a very fast pace. Large area of country is covered with expansive soil which has poor engineering properties and not suitable for construction. So soil stabilization is necessary to enhance it’s engineering performance such as workability, stiffness, strength, permeability, compressibility and sensitivity. In this study, RBI Grade-81 has been used as soil stabilizer. The effectiveness of the stabilizer is investigated through laboratory experiments. The locally available Black cotton soil is procured from MANIT, Bhopal Campus and used for this investigation. Various Laboratory tests such as Atterberg’s limit test, Compaction test, Unconfined Compressive strength test and Differential free swell test were performed to study the effect of RBI Grade-81 on the soil. Experimental results showed that RBI Grade-81 decreased the MDD and increased the OMC. It reduced the Plasticity and swelling characteristics of soil. It was also observed from the test results that with the increasing dosage of RBI and with increasing curing periods, it effectively improved the UCS values of soil.