Engineering Properties of Soil-Lime Mixes

The relation between sample preparation and curing procedures, and the engineering properties of compacted soil-lime mixes was investigated. Four natural Oklahoma soils of different origins were used in this study. The effects of variation of lime content, water content, and curing environment factors were evaluated on the basis of the strength, permeability, and pH of compacted specimens. It was found that the compressive strength increases with increasing lime content. Strength improvement was most conspicuous in the samples compacted at moisture contents above the optimum; the strength of samples compacted at lower moisture content could usually be improved by increasing the availability of water during curing. The soil pH appears to be an important factor controlling the soil strength, but its influence is better regulated by the lime-water ratio than by lime-soil ratio. The permeability of all soils was increased by the addition of lime, but the effect is reduced when water is sprinkled on the compacted lifts prior to curing.