Soil Stabilization
Soil stabilization is a process for preparing road beds for pavement and building sites for construction.
Depending on the composition of the soil, lime, cement, ash and other ingredients are added to the soil to improve water absorption, reduce swelling and strengthen the road bed or construction site’s load-bearing capabilities. The process of soil stabilization requires proper testing before the soil can be amended. Extensive knowledge of soil amendments and how to apply them is critical to the process. Many building and road contractors opt to hire companies that specialize in soil stabilization for this reason.
Lime Soil Stabilization
Lime is used to stabilize the subgrade of poor quality clay soils that, if left untreated, have the potential to crack concrete slabs and pavement. The type and amount of lime used to stabilize the soil depends on the exact make up if the soil in question. Soil quality can vary, not only from region to region but also within a short stretch of road bed. In order to ensure that your road bed or construction site remains stable over time, soil testing and stabilization needs to be done by an experienced soil stabilization contractor. The benefits of lime stabilized subgrade include its ability to reduce the clay’s expansive properties, form a moisture barrier that prevents water from reaching the underlying subsoil and improve the long-term strength of the road bed or construction site.
Cement Soil Stabilization
Cement soil stabilization is another option for preparing road beds and construction sites. Soil stabilized with cement is ideal for well graded aggregate soils that have a sufficient amount of fine soil particles to fill in space and float coarse aggregate particles. Cement soil stabilization is appropriate for gravel and sandy soils. The advantages of cement soil stabilization include that it is widely available, the cost is relatively low and it is highly durable. Soil stabilized with cement falls into three mail categories: cement modified soils, full depth reclamation and cement treated base.
