Tube Suction Test for Evaluating Moisture Susceptibility Resulting from Calcium Chloride

Electrolytic additives can be used to accelerate strength gain in cement-modified soils. However, one of the consequences of adding electrolytic additives, such as calcium chloride (CaCl₂), is the potential to increase moisture susceptibility. Moisture susceptibility affects the strength of the material and its ability to withstand repeated freeze-thaw cycling. In order to evaluate the moisture susceptibility of soil-cement as a function of calcium chloride, different dosages were tested, i.e. 0% control, 5% and 10% of cement weight, with three different soil types. Samples were subjected to tube suction testing, a method which essentially measures capillary rise in soils and aggregates. The data indicate that calcium chloride has a dosage-dependent influence on the extent of capillary rise. It was also found that different soil types exhibit varying suction behavior. In terms of application of this research, moisture susceptibility analysis should be undertaken to assess whether proposed electrolytic chemical additives are appropriate for a given soil type.