Strength and Durability Performance of Clayey Soil Stabilized with Lime and Marble Powder

This paper investigated the effect of freezing-thawing and wetting-drying cycles on the strength and durability of clay soil stabilized with lime and marble powder. The test samples were prepared by adding 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of marble powder, without and with 6% lime to the soil which is a high plasticity clay (CH) according to the Unified Soil Classification System. Unconfined compressive strength tests were performed after 7 and 28 days of curing periods. The durability behavior of the samples was examined by applying freezing-thawing and wettingdrying cycles to the prepared samples. The results of this study show that the presence of marble powder in the soil mixture has an important role in the improvement of strength. An increase in the number of wetting-drying cycles does not decrease the volumetric stability of the samples stabilized with marble powder. The use of lime and marble powder together increased the strength values compared to the natural soil and the use of lime only. It was concluded that the co-use of lime and marble powder had a positive effect on the strength and durability behavior of high plasticity clayey soil.