Engineering Behavioural Analysis of Expansive Soil with the Application of Fly Ash as Soil Stabilizer

This work investigates the effect of fly ash, a byproduct generated from the thermal power plants and known as fly ash, on the geotechnical properties of expansive soil (Black cotton soil) collected from Jhansi district, Bundelkhand region (U.P.), India.Fly ash from the Panki thermal power plant (Class F) was mixed with soil at varying percentages (10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% by dry weight) to evaluate its impact.Laboratory experiments were conducted to assess various properties of soil including consistency limits, specific gravity, CBR value using California Bearing Ratio test and compaction behavior.Results indicate a decrease in most of the soil properties, except for CBR and Optimum water content , with the addition of fly ash.The study highlights that fly ash, an industrial byproduct, can mitigate environmental pollution if effectively reused, as it contributes positively to soil stabilization, reducing volumetric changes, and improving CBR values.Moreover, swelling potential was found to decrease with increased fly ash content.With up to 30% fly ash content, the soil-fly ash mixtures can be effectively used in geotechnical applications, including embankments, landfilling, and liner construction.The findings demonstrate that fly ash is a valuable stabilizer for expansive soil, offering an eco-friendly alternative for improving soil properties in geotechnical engineering.Such a type of application of fly ash promotes sustainable development and eco-friendly construction practices.