Studies on Geotechnical Characteristics of Black Cotton Soil Stabilized with Stone Dust and Fibre

Black cotton (BC) soil is a weak soil and results in periodic swelling and shrinkage during wet and dry season. In order to make deficient soil useful there is a need for the use of waste material in stabilization with that of traditional stabilizers. In the present study black cotton soil was stabilized with a mixture of stone dust and polypropylene fiber. First an optimum value of stone dust was determined on the basis of geotechnical properties of mixture of stone dust and black cotton soil. The stone dust was mixed 10 to 40% by weight of soil with an increment of 5%. Polypropylene fiber was added to black cotton soil from 0 to 1% at an increment of 0.25% to stabilize with optimum percentage of stone dust. Compaction, California bearing ratio (CBR) (soaked and unsoaked), unconfined compression strength (0, 7, 14 and 28days) tests were conducted on the mixture of stone dust and polypropylene fiber in soil. The study shows that 30% of stone dust with 0.75% polypropylene fiber in BC soil gives the optimum mix for stabilization.