A Guide to Soil Stabilization Methods and Materials

Many workers in construction die in accidents in excavations which is the to poorly stabilized soil. However, this should not be the case if the worksite soil is very stable enough to operate machinery in minus the risk of cave-ins.

Below are some of the materials and methods that can help stabilize the soil in a construction site.

Let us look first at the different stabilization materials.

You use slaked lime in highly plastic or clay-like soil. Strengthening and stabilization of the soil happens when slaked lime is added to it. The soil becomes more compact since it helps to remove water from the soil.

A popular stabilizing material for soil is cement. You can use it in different kinds of soil. Stabilization is improved if you add lime, sodium sulfate, or fly ash to cement.

Bituminous materials such as asphalt and tar can give coherence to the soil which reduces the absorption of water and improves stability. The soil will not erode with these.

You can add chemicals to the soil to improve stability. Sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and sodium silicate are the most popular chemicals. With these, the soil becomes compact and it becomes more stable. They help increase the retention of water of the soil so that there is better sticking of particles together.

Fabrics or geotextiles can be used in building up of the soil. They have pores and you have different options depending of the project type you are doing and the soil type you are working with.

EnviroGrid made by Geo Products is a good example of geotextile. These heavy duty cells prevent the filler material from lateral movement. Because of their excellent drainage, they can be used in wet areas.

Here are some soil stabilization methods you can use.

Mixing in the stabilizing material is the most common method for soil stabilization. You should mix the additive in the correct percentage with the quantity of soil there is.

You should also be concerned about the depth of the soil. The job can only be done if the soil has enough depth. It is important to have a deeper mixture of stabilizing materials if the earth is loose.

An option for the stabilization of soil which is expensive is grouting. This is used in buried areas of the earth which does not allow mixing it with the materials. Stabilizers are injected into the soil where it permeates and mixes to make the soil stronger and more compacted.

Electrical stabilization is another method of soil stabilization which is an expensive one. if the soil is clay-like then the best method of soil stabilization is electrical stabilization. Metal electrodes are inserted into the earth in this stabilization method. Water moves to the electrodes you run current through them. When water is removed it results in the compacting of the soil. The safety of construction vehicles is ensured with more sturdy
soil.

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