Strength behaviour of soluble sulphate contaminated lime treated soil

Characteristics of soils and surrounding environmental conditions are of great concern in effective implementation of lime stabilization for soil improvement. In the present study, an attempt has been made to understand the strength behaviour of both untreated and lime treated expansive soil contaminated with varying sulphate concentration (0 to 30000 ppm). The results reveal that Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of lime treated soil, irrespective of curing periods, is improved significantly with an increase in the sulphate concentration up to 16000 ppm and is reduced thereafter. Detailed microanalyses (XRD and SEM) have been studied to comprehend the strength behaviour of sulphate contaminated lime treated expansive soil.