Technical Papers
May 16, 2024

A Novel Multiple Linear Regression Approach for Predicting the Unconfined Compressive Strength of Soil

Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 24, Issue 8

Abstract

This paper proposes a precise and general multiple linear regression (MLR) model to predict the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of various soil types. The study used a wide range of data sets, including 952 data points considering 39 soil types with varying grain sizes. The model inputs were soil physical properties, grain size, age, mixture proportion, and chemical composition of binder materials. An innovative and novel approach was developed to enhance the accuracy of the MLR model, a randomized exploratory algorithm. The model demonstrated significant accuracy with a 0.921 R2 in the testing data set. The Bayesian model averaging (BMA) method was employed for feature reduction, focusing on important variables. Alternative models were also developed based on the significant variables highlighted by the BMA approach, all showing high accuracy in predicting the UCS. The proposed models demonstrated superiority over traditional approaches based on the data set size and statistical metrics. The paper provides instances of predicting soil UCS and determining the mix design corresponding to the target UCS.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

Data Availability Statement

All data, models, or codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude to Mr. Amirhossein Soleimani and Mr. Alireza Mahmoudi for their assistance in this work.

References

Akan, R., and S. N. Keskin. 2019. “The effect of data size of ANFIS and MLR models on prediction of unconfined compression strength of clayey soils.” SN Appl. Sci. 1 (8): 843. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-019-0883-8.
Alhani, I. J., M. J. b. Md Noor, M. A. M. Al-Bared, I. S. H. Harahap, and W. M. Albadri. 2020. “Mechanical response of saturated and unsaturated gravels of different sizes in drained triaxial testing.” Acta Geotech. 15: 3075–3093. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-020-00954-4.
Alhassan, M. 2008. “Potentials of rice husk ash for soil stabilization.” Assumpt. Univ. J. Technol. 11: 246–250.
Anupam, A. K., P. Kumar, and G. D. Ransingchung R. N. 2014. “Performance evaluation of structural properties for soil stabilised using rice husk ash.” Road Mater. Pavement Des. 15 (3): 539–553. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680629.2014.891533.
Asgari, M. R., A. B. Dezfuli, and M. Bayat. 2015. “Experimental study on stabilization of a low plasticity clayey soil with cement/lime.” Arabian J. Geosci. 8: 1439–1452. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-013-1173-1.
ASTM. 2017. Standard practice for classification of soils for engineering purposes (unified soil classification system) 1. ASTM Committee D-18 on Soil and Rock. ASTM D2487. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM international.
Basha, E. A., R. Hashim, H. B. Mahmud, and A. S. Muntohar. 2005. “Stabilization of residual soil with rice husk ash and cement.” Constr. Build. Mater. 19 (6): 448–453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2004.08.001.
Bilondi, M. P., M. M. Toufigh, and V. Toufigh. 2018. “Experimental investigation of using a recycled glass powder-based geopolymer to improve the mechanical behavior of clay soils.” Constr. Build. Mater. 170: 302–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.03.049.
Chompoorat, T., K. Thanawong, and S. Likitlersuang. 2021. “Swell-shrink behaviour of cement with fly ash-stabilised lakebed sediment.” Bull. Eng. Geol. Environ. 80: 2617–2628. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-020-02069-2.
Chompoorat, T., T. Maikhun, and S. Likitlersuang. 2019. “Cement-improved lake bed sedimentary soil for road construction.” Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. Ground Improv. 172 (3): 192–201. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgrim.18.00076.
Das, S. K., P. Samui, and A. K. Sabat. 2011. “Application of artificial intelligence to maximum dry density and unconfined compressive strength of cement stabilized soil.” Geotech. Geol. Eng. 29: 329–342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-010-9379-4.
Do, H.-D., V.-N. Pham, H.-H. Nguyen, P.-N. Huynh, and J. Han. 2021. “Prediction of unconfined compressive strength and flexural strength of cement-stabilized sandy soils: A case study in Vietnam.” Geotech. Geol. Eng. 39: 4947–4962. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-021-01805-z.
Duong, N. T. 2022. “Effect of rice husk ash on unconfined compressive strength of soil–cement admixture.” Suranaree J. Sci. Technol. 29 (1): 010090(1–9).
Firoozi, A. A., C. G. Olgun, A. A. Firoozi, and M. S. Baghini. 2017. “Fundamentals of soil stabilization.” Int. J. Geo-Eng. 8: 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40703-017-0064-9.
Gadouri, H., K. Harichane, and M. Ghrici. 2017. “Effects of Na2SO4 on the geotechnical properties of clayey soils stabilised with mineral additives.” Int. J. Geotech. Eng. 11 (5): 500–512. https://doi.org/10.1080/19386362.2016.1238562.
Ghanizadeh, A. R., N. Heidarabadizadeh, M. Bayat, and V. Khalifeh. 2022. “Modeling of unconfined compressive strength and Young’s modulus of lime and cement stabilized clayey subgrade soil using Evolutionary Polynomial Regression (EPR).” Int. J. Min. Geo-Eng. 56 (3): 257–269.
Ghorbani, A., and H. Hasanzadehshooiili. 2018. “Prediction of UCS and CBR of microsilica–lime stabilized sulfate silty sand using ANN and EPR models; application to the deep soil mixing.” Soils Found. 58 (1): 34–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2017.11.002.
Gupta, R., K. Goyal, and N. Yadav. 2016. “Prediction of safe bearing capacity of noncohesive soil in arid zone using artificial neural networks.” Int. J. Geomech. 16 (2): 04015044. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000514.
Hoeting, J. A., D. Madigan, A. E. Raftery, and C. T. Volinsky. 1999. “Bayesian model averaging: A tutorial (with comments by M. Clyde, David Draper and E. I. George, and a rejoinder by the authors.” Stat. Sci. 14 (4): 382–417. https://doi.org/10.1214/ss/1009212519.
Horpibulsuk, S., R. Rachan, A. Chinkulkijniwat, Y. Raksachon, and A. Suddeepong. 2010. “Analysis of strength development in cement-stabilized silty clay from microstructural considerations.” Constr. Build. Mater. 24 (10): 2011–2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2010.03.011.
Horpibulsuk, S., R. Rachan, and A. Suddeepong. 2011. “Assessment of strength development in blended cement admixed Bangkok clay.” Constr. Build. Mater. 25 (4): 1521–1531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2010.08.006.
Hu, X., and P. Solanki. 2021. “Predicting resilient modulus of cementitiously stabilized subgrade soils using neural network, support vector machine, and Gaussian process regression.” Int. J. Geomech. 21 (6): 04021073. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0002029.
Islam, S., N. M. R. Hoque, M. A. Haque, P. N. Mishra, M. M. H. Mamun, and S. Dey. 2019. “Strength development in fine-grained paddy field soil by lime addition.” J. Build. Eng. 26: 100857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2019.100857.
Jiang, X., Z. Huang, F. Ma, and X. Luo. 2019. “Analysis of strength development and soil–water characteristics of rice husk ash–lime stabilized soft soil.” Materials 12 (23): 3873. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12233873.
Kardani, N., A. Zhou, S.-L. Shen, and M. Nazem. 2021. “Estimating unconfined compressive strength of unsaturated cemented soils using alternative evolutionary approaches.” Transp. Geotech. 29: 100591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trgeo.2021.100591.
Khademi, F., S. M. Jamal, N. Deshpande, and S. Londhe. 2016. “Predicting strength of recycled aggregate concrete using artificial neural network, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system and multiple linear regression.” Int. J. Sustainable Built Environ. 5 (2): 355–369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsbe.2016.09.003.
Khazaei, J., and H. Moayedi. 2019. “Soft expansive soil improvement by eco-friendly waste and quick lime.” Arabian J. Sci. Eng. 44 (10): 8337–8346. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-017-2590-3.
Kolias, S., V. Kasselouri-Rigopoulou, and A. Karahalios. 2005. “Stabilisation of clayey soils with high calcium fly ash and cement.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 27 (2): 301–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2004.02.019.
Kumar, B. S., and T. V. Preethi. 2014. “Behavior of clayey soil stabilized with rice husk ash & lime.” Int. J. Eng. Trends Technol. 11 (1): 44–48. https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V11P209.
Mahedi, M., B. Cetin, and D. J. White. 2018. “Performance evaluation of cement and slag stabilized expansive soils.” Transp. Res. Rec. 2672 (52): 164–173. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198118757439.
Malik, M. H., and S. Gupta. 2022. “Performance analysis of red soil using blast furnace slag for the improvement of lose soil.” Int. Res. J. Modern. Eng. Technol. Sci. 4 (12): 446–458.
Mozumder, R. A., and A. I. Laskar. 2015. “Prediction of unconfined compressive strength of geopolymer stabilized clayey soil using artificial neural network.” Comput. Geotech. 69: 291–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2015.05.021.
Mujah, D., M. A. Shahin, L. Cheng, and A. Karrech. 2021. “Experimental and analytical study on geomechanical behavior of biocemented sand.” Int. J. Geomech. 21 (8): 04021126. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0002105.
Ngo, H. T. T., T. A. Pham, H. L. T. Vu, and L. V. Giap. 2021. “Application of artificial intelligence to determined unconfined compressive strength of cement-stabilized soil in Vietnam.” Appl. Sci. 11 (4): 1949. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041949.
Olgun, M. 2013. “Effects of polypropylene fiber inclusion on the strength and volume change characteristics of cement–fly ash stabilized clay soil.” Geosynth. Int. 20 (4): 263–275. https://doi.org/10.1680/gein.13.00016.
Osinubi, K. J., M. A. Oyelakin, and A. O. Eberemu. 2011. “Improvement of black cotton soil with ordinary Portland cement-locust bean waste ash blend.” Electron. J. Geotech. Eng. 16 (1): 619–627.
Oyediran, I. A., and M. Kalejaiye. 2011. “Effect of increasing cement content on strength and compaction parameters of some lateritic soils from southwestern Nigeria.” Electron. J. Geotech. Eng. 16 (2): 1501–1514.
Ozdemir, M. A. 2016. “Improvement in bearing capacity of a soft soil by addition of fly ash.” Procedia Eng. 143: 498–505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2016.06.063.
Ozsagir, M., C. Erden, E. Bol, S. Sert, and A. Özocak. 2022. “Machine learning approaches for prediction of fine-grained soils liquefaction.” Comput. Geotech. 152: 105014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2022.105014.
Palizi, S., and V. Toufigh. 2022. “Bond strength prediction of timber-FRP under standard and acidic/alkaline environmental conditions based on gene expression programming.” Eur. J. Wood Wood Prod. 80 (6): 1457–1471. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-022-01838-y.
Park, H. I., and S. R. Lee. 2011. “Evaluation of the compression index of soils using an artificial neural network.” Comput. Geotech. 38 (4): 472–481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2011.02.011.
Preetham, H. K., and S. Nayak. 2019. “Geotechnical investigations on marine clay stabilized using granulated blast furnace slag and cement.” Int. J. Geosynth. Ground Eng. 5 (2019): 1–12.
Preetham, H. K., S. Nayak, and E. V. Surya. 2019. “Experimental investigation on the stabilization of soft clay using granulated blast furnace slag.” IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 561 (1): 012047. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/561/1/012047.
Rahgozar, M. A., M. Saberian, and J. Li. 2018. “Soil stabilization with non-conventional eco-friendly agricultural waste materials: An experimental study.” Transp. Geotech. 14: 52–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trgeo.2017.09.004.
Rahmati, M., and V. Toufigh. 2022. “Evaluation of geopolymer concrete at high temperatures: An experimental study using machine learning.” J. Cleaner Prod. 372: 133608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133608.
Ramesh, H. N., and B. V. Manjunatha. 2020. “Justification of strength properties of microstructural changes in the black cotton soil stabilized with rice husk ash and carbide lime in the presence of sodium salts.” SN Appl. Sci. 2 (3): 457. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-020-2226-1.
Ranjbar, I., V. Toufigh, and M. Boroushaki. 2022. “A combination of deep learning and genetic algorithm for predicting the compressive strength of high-performance concrete.” Struct. Concr. 23 (4): 2405–2418. https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.202100199.
Riyad, A. S. M., and M. S. Shoaib. 2020. “Influence of uncontrolled burn rice husk ash on engineering properties of cement-admixed fine-grained soil.” Aust. J. Civ. Eng. 18 (2): 176–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/14488353.2020.1757186.
Sekhar, D. C., and S. Nayak. 2017. “SEM and XRD investigations on lithomargic clay stabilized using granulated blast furnace slag and cement.” Int. J. Geotech. Eng. 13 (6): 615–629. https://doi.org/10.1080/19386362.2017.1380355.
Sekhar, D. C., and S. Nayak. 2018. “Utilization of granulated blast furnace slag and cement in the manufacture of compressed stabilized earth blocks.” Constr. Build. Mater. 166: 531–536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.01.125.
Sezer, A., G. İnan, H. R. Yılmaz, and K. Ramyar. 2006. “Utilization of a very high lime fly ash for improvement of Izmir clay.” Build. Environ. 41 (2): 150–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2004.12.009.
Sharma, R. K., and J. Hymavathi. 2016. “Effect of fly ash, construction demolition waste and lime on geotechnical characteristics of a clayey soil: A comparative study.” Environ. Earth Sci. 75: 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4873-x.
Shukla, R. P., and N. S. Parihar. 2016. “Stabilization of black cotton soil using micro-fine slag.” J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. A 97: 299–306. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40030-016-0171-1.
Suman, S., M. Mahamaya, and S. K. Das. 2016. “Prediction of maximum dry density and unconfined compressive strength of cement stabilised soil using artificial intelligence techniques.” Int. J. Geosynth. Ground Eng. 2: 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40891-016-0051-9.
Tabarsa, A., N. Latifi, A. Osouli, and Y. Bagheri. 2021. “Unconfined compressive strength prediction of soils stabilized using artificial neural networks and support vector machines.” Front. Struct. Civ. Eng. 15: 520–536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11709-021-0689-9.
Toufigh, V., and S. Palizi. 2022. “Performance evaluation of slag-based concrete at elevated temperatures by a novel machine learning approach.” Constr. Build. Mater. 358: 129357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.129357.
Tyagi, A., and D. K. Soni. 2019. “Effects of granulated ground blast furnace slag and fly ash on stabilization of soil.” In Proc., of EGRWSE 2018: Recycled Waste Materials, edited by A. K. Agnihotri, K. R. Reddy, and A. Bansal, 79–90. Singapore: Springer.
Xiao, Y., X. He, T. M. Evans, A. W. Stuedlein, and H. Liu. 2019. “Unconfined compressive and splitting tensile strength of basalt fiber–reinforced biocemented sand.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 145 (9): 04019048. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002108.
Xiao, Y., X. He, M. Zaman, G. Ma, and C. Zhao. 2022. “Review of strength improvements of biocemented soils.” Int. J. Geomech. 22 (11): 03122001. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0002565.
Yoobanpot, N., P. Jamsawang, and S. Horpibulsuk. 2017. “Strength behavior and microstructural characteristics of soft clay stabilized with cement kiln dust and fly ash residue.” Appl. Clay Sci. 141: 146–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2017.02.028.
Ziamiavaghi, B., and V. Toufigh. 2023. “Fracture toughness evaluation of ground granulated blast furnace slag concrete using experimental study and machine learning techniques.” Eng. Fract. Mech. 291: 109577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2023.109577.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to International Journal of Geomechanics
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 24Issue 8August 2024

History

Received: May 11, 2023
Accepted: Jan 22, 2024
Published online: May 16, 2024
Published in print: Aug 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Oct 16, 2024

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Mohammadreza Mahmoudi [email protected]
Graduate Student, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Sharif Univ. of Technology, Tehran 1458889694, Iran. Email: [email protected]
Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Sharif Univ. of Technology, Tehran 1458889694, Iran (corresponding author). ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2462-980X. Email: [email protected]
Mohsen Ghaemian [email protected]
Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Sharif Univ. of Technology, Tehran 1458889694, Iran. Email: [email protected]

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.

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share