Soil Lime Research at Iowa State University

A summary of the work done 1948-1964 in soil-lime stabilization using soils and limes from many parts of the United States is presented. The effects of lime on the plasticity, shrinkage, strength, and swell characteristics of soils, as well as the freeze-thaw and wet-dry resistance, were studied. Basic and applied research and field trials were made in order to evaluate the different aspects of soil-lime stabilization. Lime can be used with silty and clayey soils to modify some of their physico-chemical characteristics and improve the soil as an engineering material. Small amounts of lime are needed for this modification of the soil properties. Lime can also be used to cement silty and clayey soils and produce a water-stable material. The lime needed for cementation ranges between 2% and 8%.