Caratterizzazione di suoli stabilizzati con leganti sostenibili.

Soils may have undesirable engineering properties because of their ability to adsorb large quantities of water and tendency to swell, therefore treating them to improve such properties becomes necessary when planning the construction of roads or other infrastructures. Due to seasonal moisture fluctuations, fine-grained soils enriched in clays and silts can suffer from serious problems such as loss of strength, compressibility, and swelling. This could result in adverse effects such as potholes and infrastructure failures hence the need to stabilize the soils. Soil stabilization is the process of improving the shear strength parameters of a soil and thus increasing its bearing capacity in construction. It is common practice to use a variety of soil stabilization procedures to enhance engineering qualities and reduce moisture-induced volumetric changes in expansive soils. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and lime are commonly used stabilizers, and their stabilization mechanisms are relatively well understood. The major issue with the production of conventional soil stabilizers (such as OPC and lime) is that they are energy intensive, deplete raw materials due to excessive demands and produce significant amounts of CO2 emissions. For instance, approximately one ton of CO2 is emitted for the production of one ton of cement. New low CO2 binders are therefore needed to meet the global CO2 reduction goals. Limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) is a new type of cement that is made from a blend of 50% OPC clinker, limestone and calcined clay. LC3 can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40%. It is made from limestone and low-grade clays which are abundant, is cost effective, and does not necessitate capital-intensive modifications to existing cement plants which makes it an excellent substitute for OPC. The objective of this research is to attempt to stabilize soils with more sustainable materials such as LC3, hence providing a sustainable alternative whilst maintaining the required engineering properties of stabilized soils. The research work thus exemplifies the performance of the soil-LC3 stabilized mixtures for their suitability in construction applications.