Soil stabilization is the permanent physical and chemical alteration of soils to enhance their physical properties. Stabilization can increase the shear strength of a soil and/or control the shrink-swell properties of a soil, thus improving the load bearing capacity of a sub-grade to support pavements and foundations.

Stabilization can be used to treat a wide range of sub-grade materials from expansive clays to granular materials. Stabilization can be achieved with a variety of chemical additives including lime, fly-ash, and Portland cement, as well as by-products such as lime-kiln dust (LKD) and cement-kiln dust (CKD). Proper design and testing is an important component of any stabilization project. This allows for the establishment of design criteria as well as the determination of the proper chemical additive and admixture rate to be used to achieve the desired engineering properties.

Benefits of the stabilization process can include:

• Higher resistance (R) values
• Reduction in plasticity
• Lower permeability
• Reduction of pavement thickness
• Elimination of excavation, material, hauling and handling, and base importation
• Aids compaction
• Provides "all-weather" access onto and within projects sites

Another form of soil treatment closely related to soil conditioning is soil modification, sometimes referred to as "mud drying" or soil conditioning. Although some stabilization inherently occurs in soil modification, the distinction is that soil modification is merely a means to reduce the moisture content of a soil to expedite construction.

Stabilization on the other hand, can substantially increase the shear strength of a material such that it can be incorporated into the project's structural design. The determining factors associated with soil modification vs. soil stabilization may be the existing moisture content, the end use of the soil structure and ultimately the cost benefit provided.

Equipment for the stabilization and modification processes include:

• Chemical additive spreaders
• Soil mixers (reclaimers)
• Water trucks
• Deep lift compactors
• Motor graders

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