Work

Experimental investigations and sustainability assessments of ground improvement studies of expansive soils

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Expanding and maintaining transportation network assets on shrink-swell soils is a major problem for civil infrastructure owners and agencies across the world. Particularly, lightweight structures such as pavements experience distress due to differential heaving, cracking, shoulder dropping, and others. They can be primarily attributed to non-uniform moisture cycles, which severely impact both the short- and long-term performance of the structures. Among the available ground improvement techniques, both traditional and non-traditional methods are being effectively used to improve soil engineering properties and reduce distress during the service life period of the infrastructure asset. Novel chemical treatment methods and innovative geosynthetics have been employed to mitigate the distresses caused by shrink/swell movements from underlying expansive soils. The research team has studied applications of co-additives such as Geo-polymers and silica fines for stabilizing sulfate-rich expansive subsoils. An overview of stabilization studies using chemical additives, along with comprehensive sustainability analyses of these methods, were discussed in this paper. In addition, case studies on the application of geosynthetic products, including geocells and wicking geotextiles, for improvements of pavement performance built over expansive soils, are provided. Overall, the application of these new ground improvement techniques will be of immense help to infrastructure and transportation sectors and agencies as their usage would promote sustainable benefits with a higher return on investment.

Source: SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS

DOI: 10.1016/j.sandf.2025.101637

Authors: Anand J. Puppala, Nripojyoti Biswas, Md Ashrafuzzaman Khan, Surya S.C. Congress

Institutions: Texas A&M University, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Fugro (United States), Michigan State University

Language: English

Topic: Geotechnical Engineering and Soil Stabilization

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,200