Effect of addition of marble dust in subgrade soil on the fatigue and rutting behaviour of flexible pavement

Abstract

Harnessing of industrial waste for improvement of soils is economical and efficient. It helps in enhancing the soil properties and overcoming the disposal problem. Therefore, it is essential to understand the properties of these wastes in order to understand their performance level. In this study, waste marble dust was added to stabilize the soil which was collected from Shambu Kalan, Punjab. This soil was classified as CL based on Indian Standard Classification system (ISCS). Marble dust was added at 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% by weight of soil. Index properties (liquid limit, plastic limit, plasticity index) were determined at different percentages of marble dust specified above. Similarly, California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) was calculated at Optimum Moisture Content (OMC), which was determined by Proctor test for the modified and parent soil. Observations based on tests specified above showed 20% of waste marble dust to be optimum for strengthening of the parent soil. Also, the evaluation of observed CBR value with the predicted CBR value (which was calculated from the regression analysis using SPSS) was done. Resilient Modulus was calculated for the subgrade soils using equations specified by Heukelom and Klomp, Thompson and Robnett, Transportation and Road Research Laboratory, Erdem Çöleri. Based on the results obtained, pavement thickness was determined for designing flexible pavement section as per IRC 37-2012 using IITPAVE.