Toward a better understanding of the effects of cement treatment on microstructural and hydraulic properties of compacted soils

Abstract

This study deals with the problem of the experimental characterization of cement-treated compacted soils in terms of microstructural and hydraulic properties. Some tests are conducted on two different types of soil: silty sand and clay as fine soils and gravelous sand and alterite as granular soil. Some samples are mixed with 5% of cement and compacted at different levels (i.e., 85%, 95%, 100% and 105% of the maximum dry density, respectively, as achieved using the standard compaction method). The results of the mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests performed on these cement-treated soils reveal significant changes as regards macropores due to the combined effects of treatment and compaction. Consequently, a decrease in the permeability is clearly observed for all the tested soils when the degree of compaction increases. This decrease is significantly greater in fine soils, which are more sensitive to compaction effects than granular soils.