Strength Development and Durability of Cement-Stabilized Tropical Clay–Quarry Dust Mixtures for Pavement Construction

Obinna Uzodimma Ubani, Esdras Ngezahayo (), Charles Malachy O. Nwaiwu and Chidozie Maduabuchukwu Nwakaire
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Obinna Uzodimma Ubani: Department of Civil Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 420245, Nigeria
Esdras Ngezahayo: Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Charles Malachy O. Nwaiwu: Department of Civil Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 420245, Nigeria
Chidozie Maduabuchukwu Nwakaire: Department of Civil Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 420245, Nigeria

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-25

Abstract: Road and pavement construction require huge volumes of borrowed soils in addition to the foundation soils. Unfortunately, not all soils are suitable for construction purposes. Soil stabilization is a fundamental technique used to enhance the engineering properties of weak ground/soil to meet the demands of large infrastructure projects, such as roads. It is in this regard that this study investigates the strength development, durability, and effectiveness of cement and quarry dust as stabilizers to enhance the geotechnical properties of a weak tropical clay soil. Cement was added in the range of 0% to 10% while quarry dust was used to partially replace soil in the range of 0% to 50%. The results show significant improvements in the Atterberg limits and strength properties of the tropical clay. The liquid limit reduced from 43.2% to 25.1% while the plasticity index reduced from 17.6% to 10.2% at 50% quarry dust and 10% cement content. Similarly, the maximum dry unit weight increased from 17.4 kN/m 3 to 21.3 kN/m 3 while the optimum moisture content decreased from 17.1% to 12.9%. The maximum soaked CBR value was 172%, representing a 1497% enhancement over untreated soil. Also, the maximum unconfined compressive strength (UCS) reached 2566 kN/m 2 at 28 days of curing, representing a 1793.73% increase when compared to the untreated soil. Cement content was found to be the predominant factor influencing strength development. The study shows that cement–quarry dust blends compacted at high energy can be adopted in sustainable road construction.

Keywords: cement; durability; quarry dust; stabilization; strength development; tropical clay (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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