IMPROVEMENT OF THE CYCLIC LOADING RESPONSE OF STABILIZED EXPANSIVE SOILS

Authors

  • Sarah djouimaa Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Infrares Laboratory, University of Mohamed Cherif Messadia, Souk-Ahras, Algeria
  • Abdelrahim ghris Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Infrares Laboratory, University of Mohamed Cherif Messadia, Souk-Ahras, Algeria
  • Cherif Guergah Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Infrares Laboratory, University of Mohamed Cherif Messadia, Souk-Ahras, Algeria
  • Adam Hamrouni Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Infrares Laboratory, University of Mohamed Cherif Messadia, Souk-Ahras, Algeria
  • Sabrina Missaoui Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science And Technology, Soil And Hydraulic Laboratory, University of Chadli Bendjedid, Taref, Algeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30572/2018/KJE/170318

Keywords:

Stabilization, Activated Slag, Loading-Unloading, Ftir, Dynamic Behavior

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the active behavior of expansive soils stabilized with ground granular kiln slag (GGBS) and cement-activated slag (GGBS/C) subjected to cyclic loading. Key active parameters shear modulus, Young's modulus, damping ratio, and deviatoric stress  are basically assessed, complemented by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis to characterize the underlying chemical mechanisms. Untreated expansive soils exhibit very low stiffness and strength, making them highly susceptible to cyclic degradation. The results show that stabilization with GGBS and GGBS/C substantially improves the mechanical stability: Young 's modulus increases by 5200 % to 7200 %. And this is key: and shear modulus increases by 2000 % to 5700 %, while the damping ratio decreases by more than 90 %. Resistance to deviatoric stress also increases, increasing by 440% to 545% depending on the limiting stress. Also increasing the confining pressure from 100 to 300 kPa further strengthens the stiffness and cyclic resistance, resulting in more stable performance under repeated loading conditions

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abdalhusein, M.M., Almahmodi, R.H., Hussein, H.H. and Mahmood, M.S. (2025) 'The improvement of gypsum sand soils in unsaturated conditions using a modified oedometer device', Kufa Journal of Engineering, 16(3), pp. 69-81.

Al-Soudany, K.Y. (2018) 'Improvement of expansive soil by using silica fume', Kufa Journal of Engineering, 9(1), pp. 222-239.

Asseli, A.E., Hamrouni, A., Benessalah, I. et al. (2025) Mechanical performance of a geocell-reinforced sand: laboratory investigation through drained monotonic triaxial tests, International Journal of Civil Engineering, 23, 2509-2523.

Bahadori, H. and Fakhari, S. (2020) 'The effect of synthetic resins on the vibration attenuation and resonance behavior of expansive soils', Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 131, p. 106007.

Bouchouk, K., Ninouh, T. and Hamrouni, A. (2022) Improvement of the resistance of bituminous layers to the phenomenon of rutting by modifying the hydrocarbon binder, Innovative Infrastructure Solutions, 7(3).

Chen, Y., Wang, W. and Li, X. (2019) 'Influence of confining pressure on dynamic properties of expansive soils in cyclic triaxial tests', Journal of Earthquake Engineering, 23(3), pp. 451-468.

Djouimaa, S., Missaoui, S., Handel, N. and Sid, M. (2021) 'Contribution to the valorization of granulated blast furnace slag in soil stabilization', Civil and Environmental Engineering Reports, 31(3), 134-151.

Estabragh, A.R., Rafatjo, H., Moradi, M. and Javadi, A.A. (2021) 'Effect of cement and polymer stabilizers on the cyclic behavior of a clay soil', Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 145, 106719.

Fang, H. and Daniels, J.L. (2020) 'Effect of bituminous binder stabilization on torsional wave propagation and hysteretic behavior of expansive soils', Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 32(5), p. 04020079.

Fattah, M.Y. and Al-Karkhi, H.N. (2017) 'Influence of lime and fly ash stabilization on the dynamic behavior of expansive clay', Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 35(2), 503-518.

Garg, R.D., Yadu, L.K. and Tripathi, R.K. (2019) 'Utilization of industrial wastes for stabilizing expansive soil: A review', Environmental Earth Sciences, 78(15), p. 451.

Gheris, A. and Hamrouni, A. (2020) Treatment of an expansive soil using vegetable (DISS) fibre, Innovative Infrastructure Solutions, 5, 34.

Güllü, H. and Khudir, M.A. (2019) 'Effect of lime-silica fume stabilization on the permanent deformation behavior of fine-grained soils under cyclic loading', Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 120, 436-448.

Gupta, R. and Kaur, T. (2019) 'Understanding the long-term behavior of expansive soils through cyclic wetting and drying', Geomechanics and Engineering, 19(4), pp. 361-371.

Hayal, A.L., Al-Gharrawi, A.M.B. and Fattah, M.Y. (2021) 'Effect of nanomaterials on shear strength of gypseous soil', Kufa Journal of Engineering, 12(1), pp. 1-14.

Jozanikohan, G. and Abarghooei, M.N. (2022) 'The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis for the clay mineralogy studies in a clastic reservoir', Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology, 12, pp. 2093-2106.

Kavazanjian, E. Jr. and Ghazavi, M. (2020) 'Dynamic properties of expansive soils under cyclic loading', International Journal of Geomechanics, 20(5), p. 06020006.

Khosravi, M. and McCartney, J.S. (2017) 'Effects of geopolymer stabilization on the dynamic water retention and viscoelastic response of expansive clays', Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 143(11), p. 04017091.

Kumar, A., Sharma, R.S. and Sivapullaiah, P.V. (2019) 'Strength and swell characteristics of lime and cement stabilized expansive soil', Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 37(5), pp. 4207-4225.

Madejová, J., Gates, W.P. and Petit, S. (2017) 'IR spectra of clay minerals', in Bergaya, F. and Lagaly, G. (eds.) Developments in Clay Science, vol. 8. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 107-149.

Mehsin, A.R., Mohammed, A.Q., Al-Hadidi, M.Th. and Ghrari, F. (2025) 'Improvement of expansive soil by using fiber glass-silica fume mixture', Kufa Journal of Engineering, 16(1), pp. 252-264.

Nguyen, T.V. and Fatahi, B. (2018) 'Effects of cyclic loading on the mechanical behavior of expansive soils', International Journal of Geomechanics, 18(5), p. 04018034.

Phanikumar, B.R. and Sharma, R.S. (2021) 'Cyclic behaviour of lime-treated expansive soil', Innovative Infrastructure Solutions, 6(3), pp. 1-12.

Plevova, E., Vaculikova, L. and Valovicova, V. (2020) 'Thermal analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy of synthetic clay mineral mixtures', Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 142, pp. 507-518. available: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-020-09527-9.

Reddy, K.R., Prasad, R. and Sivapullaiah, P.V. (2020) 'Effect of fly ash and lime on the engineering properties of expansive soils', International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, 14(5), pp. 559-572.

Sharma, R. and Sivapullaiah, P.V. (2020) 'Effectiveness of using industrial wastes for stabilizing expansive soils', Environmental Geotechnics, 7(2), pp. 88-97.

Shi, C., Krivenko, P.V. and Roy, D.M. (2016) 'Alkali-Activated Cements and Concretes'. CRC Press.

Siddique, R. (2019) Cement Based Materials, 1st ed., Singapore: Springer.

Wild, S., Kinuthia, J.M., Jones, G.I. and Higgins, D.D. (2017) 'Effects of partial lime or cement stabilization on the initial consumption of lime and durability of a clay soil', Engineering Geology, 51(3), pp. 254-276.

Zhao, Y. and Liu, Z. (2018) 'Dynamic strain behavior of silt stabilized with geopolymer under cyclic loading', Construction and Building Materials, 186, pp. 524-533.

Downloads

Published

2026-08-01

How to Cite

djouimaa, Sarah, et al. “IMPROVEMENT OF THE CYCLIC LOADING RESPONSE OF STABILIZED EXPANSIVE SOILS”. Kufa Journal of Engineering, vol. 17, no. 3, Aug. 2026, pp. 310-25, https://doi.org/10.30572/2018/KJE/170318.

Share