Experimental Study of Thermal Conductivity in Soil Stabilization for Sustainable Construction Applications

Abdullahi Abdulrahman Muhudin (), Mohammad Sharif Zami (), Ismail Mohammad Budaiwi and Ahmed Abd El Fattah
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Abdullahi Abdulrahman Muhudin: Architecture and City Design (ACD) Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Mohammad Sharif Zami: Architecture and City Design (ACD) Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Ismail Mohammad Budaiwi: Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Abd El Fattah: Architecture and City Design (ACD) Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 3, 1-24

Abstract: Soils in Saudi Arabia are emerging as potential sustainable building materials, a notion central to this study. The research is crucial for advancing construction practices in arid areas by enhancing soil thermal properties through stabilization. Focusing on Hejaz region soils, the study evaluates the impact of stabilizers such as cement, lime, and cement kiln dust (CKD) on their thermal behavior. This investigation, using two specific soil types designated as Soil A and Soil B, varied the concentration of additives from 0% to 15% over a 12-week duration. Employing a TLS-100 for thermal measurements, it was found that Soil A, with a 12.5% cement concentration, showed a significant 164.54% increase in thermal conductivity. When treated with 2.5% lime, Soil A reached a thermal conductivity of 0.555 W/(m·K), whereas Soil B exhibited a 53.00% decrease under similar lime concentration, reflecting diverse soil responses. Notably, a 15% CKD application in Soil A led to an astounding 213.55% rise in thermal conductivity, with Soil B recording an 82.7% increase. The findings emphasize the substantial influence of soil stabilization in improving the thermal characteristics of Hejaz soils, especially with cement and CKD, and, to a varying extent. This study is pivotal in identifying precise, soil-specific stabilization methods in Saudi Arabia’s Hejaz region, essential for developing sustainable engineering applications and optimizing construction materials for better thermal efficiency.

Keywords: soil stabilization; thermal conductivity; sustainable construction; cement kiln dust (CKD); lime stabilization; cement stabilization; Hejaz region soils; Saudi Arabia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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