Flowability and Density Characteristics of Controlled Low-Strength Material Using Native High-Plasticity Clay
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 27, Issue 1
Abstract
In pipeline construction projects when high-plasticity clayey soils are encountered in the excavated trench material, they are typically landfilled and better quality materials are imported from outside quarry sources for use as bedding and haunch-zone materials. This practice has detrimental environmental and cost impacts; therefore, an efficient reutilization of this high-plasticity excavated material to produce controlled low-strength materials (CLSMs) to use as bedding and haunch-zone materials will have major sustainability benefits. As part of an ongoing research study, novel CLSM mix designs were developed by utilizing native high-plasticity clayey soils from the excavated trench material. Due to the high-plasticity nature of the soils, it is essential to address both flowability and density property requirements prior to validating them against other engineering properties. Hence, several CLSM mixtures with the native clayey soils as ingredients were initially designed as per a flowability criterion to establish the optimum quantities of chemical binders and water quantities. Later, these mixes were verified for satisfying a density property criterion. This technical note presents the step-by-step procedure followed in preparing these mixes along with test results obtained from various mixes designed as part of the testing program. Based on these results, it was evident that CLSM mixes with high-plasticity clays can be developed that meet both flowability and density criteria. The success of this research enhances sustainability efforts in pipeline construction projects because this study showed that excavated clayey soils can be successfully reused in CLSM applications rather than landfilling them.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank TRWD and the IPL team for their assistance with the research in soil sampling and coordination among the various groups. In particular we thank Mr. Matt Gaughan, Mr. David Marshall, and Ms. Shelly Hattan for their encouragement and assistance with this research. We also thank the Fugro group for their help in providing the field soil samples to UTA.
References
ASTM. (2003). “Specification for concrete aggregates.” C33, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2004). “Standard test method for flow consistency of controlled low strength material (CLSM).” D6103-04, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2007). “Standard test method for density (unit weight), yield, cement content, and air content (gravimetric) of controlled low-strength material (CLSM).” D6023-07, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2009). “Standard test method for bulk density (“unit weight”) and voids in aggregate.” C29/C29M-09, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2012). “Standard specification for portland cement.” C150/C150M-12, West Conshohocken, PA.
Brewer, W. E., and Hurd, J. O. (1993). “Controlled low strength material: Controlled density fill CLSM-CDF as a backfill around flexible structures.” Proc., Second National Conf. on Structural Performance of Pipes, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 25–34.
Chittoori, B. C. S., Puppala, A. J., and Raavi, A. (2014). “Strength and stiffness characterization of controlled low strength material (CLSM) using native high plasticity clay.” ASCE J. Mater., 26(6), 04014007.
Finney, A. J., Shorey, E. F., and Anderson, J. (2008). “Use of native soil in place of aggregate in controlled low strength material (CLSM).” Proc., Pipeline 2008, ASCE, Reston, VA, 1–13.
Folliard, K. J., Du, L., Trejo, D., Halmen, C., Sabol, S. A., and Leshchinsky, D. (2008). “Development of a recommended practice for use of controlled low-strength material in highway construction.”, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC, 5–39.
Green, B. H., and Schmitz, D. W. (2004). “Soil-based controlled low strength materials.” Environ. Eng. Geosci., 10(2), 169–174.
Howard, A. K. (1990). “Load deflection field test of 27″ PVC pipe.” ASTM STP1093, Buried plastic pipe technology, G. Buczala and M. Cassady, eds., ASTM, West Conshohocken, PA, 125–140.
Howard, A. K. (1996). Pipeline installation: A manual for construction of buried pipeline, Relativity Publishing, Lakewood, CO.
Howard, A. K., and Bowles, L. (2008). “Flowable fill and the ridges basin inlet conduit.” Proc., Pipeline 2008, ASCE, Reston, VA, 1–11.
Naik, T. R., and Singh, S. S. (1997). “Flowable slurry containing foundry sands.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 93–102.
Puppala, A. J., Balasubramanyam, P., and Madhyannapu, R. S. (2007). “Experimental investigations on properties of controlled low-strength material.” Ground Improv. J., 11(3), 171–178.
Raavi, A. (2012). “Design of controlled low strength material for bedding and backfilling using high plasticity clay.” M.S. thesis, Univ. of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 134.
Trejo, D., Folliard, K., and Du, L. (2003). “Alternative capping materials for evaluating the compressive strength of controlled low-strength materials.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 484–490.
Wu, J. Y. (2005). “Soil-based flowable fill for pipeline construction.” Proc., Pipeline 2005, ASCE, Reston, VA, 925–938.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 25, 2013
Accepted: May 9, 2014
Published online: Jul 14, 2014
Discussion open until: Dec 14, 2014
Published in print: Jan 1, 2015
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.