Effect of curing conditions on long term mechanical property of improved surplus soils

Abstract

In this study, the effect of environmental exposure conditions on the long term mechanical property of surplus soils improved by lime and cement was investigated by conducting unconfined compression tests on the specimens cured under different conditions. As the result of the experiments after about 1 year (336 days) from specimen preparation, the unconfined compressive strengths of the soaked specimens were found to be the smallest, while those of the sealed specimens were the largest. Effect of soaking on the strengths appeared obviously in the cement treated soil, while the effect decreased when the duration of initial sealed curing increased. It was inferred that these differences in the strengths were caused by the changes in physical properties such as degree of saturation, and chemical properties due possibly to the leaching of hydration products during soaked curing.