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=35-50%
Low plasticity
=<35%
High plasticity
=50-70%
Very high plasticity
=70-90%
Extremely high plasticity
=> 90
4.2.1.3 Shrinkage Limit
Shrinkage limit is the maximum water content at which a reduction in water content
will not cause decrease in volume of the soil. It is also the minimum moisture content to keep
a soil saturated without increasing the volume. This experiment gives an idea about shrinkage
or swelling which is likely to take place after being compacted as specified moisture content.
If a soil is compacted at its OMC which happens to be higher than its shrinkage limits (as in
heavy clays) the compacted soil mass will shrink on drying after compaction. If such clay is
compacted at about shrinkage limit (lower than OMC) it is likely to swell on soaking
subsequently.
4.2.2 Specific Gravity Test
Specific gravity is defined as the ratio of the weight of given volume of soil solids at a
given temperature to the weight of an equal volume of distilled water at that temperature,
both weights are taken in air.
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 21
Fig 4.2 Pycnometer
4.2.3 Sub-Grade Strength Evaluation
4.2.3.1 Modified Proctor Test
The extent of compaction depends on the moisture content of the soil and the comp
active effort used. In a compaction test the object is to determine the optimum moisture
content and maximum dry density achievable with a given compactive effort . A plot of dry
density versus moisture content indicates that compaction becomes more efficient up to a
certain moisture content, after which the efficiency decreases. The maximum dry density is
obtained at this optimum moisture content.
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 22
4.2.3.2 California Bearing Ratio (CBR) Test
The method combines a load penetration test performed in the laboratory or in-situ
with the empirical design charts to determine the thickness of pavement and of its
constituents layers .This is probably the most widely used method for the design of flexible
pavement.
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 23
Chapter 5
Results and Discussion
5.1 General
In this analysis various proportions of Blast Furnace Slag are taken. The test were
conducted to determine the various physical properties such as specific gravity, dry density,
moisture content, Atterbergs limits and California bearing ratio for different percentage of
Blast Furnace Slag. An attempt has been made to find out the suitability of Blast Furnace
Slag in the stabilization of road subgrade layer.
The test results are presented in this chapter are discussed with appropriate graphical
representation.
5.2 Physical Properties of soil
In the present investigation various physical properties such as Specific gravity,
Atterbergs limits such as plastic limit, shrinkage limit, plasticity index, toughness index,
California bearing ratio, optimum moisture content and dry density are calculated for
collected soil and is given in table 5.1
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 24
Table 5.1 Properties of soil
Property
Values
Liquid Limit (%)
45
Plasticity Index (%)
15.83
Flow Index (%)
22
Toughness Index (%)
71.91
Plastic Limit (%)
29.17
Specific Gravity
2.52
OMC (%)
26.415
Max Dry Density g/cc
1.725
Soaked CBR (%)
1.5
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 25
5.3 Physical Properties of BFS
In this present investigation various physical properties of BFS such as Specific gravity,
optimum moisture content, dry density and CBR are represented in table 5.2
Table 5.2 Properties of BFS
Property
Values
Specific Gravity
2.89
OMC (%)
9.3
5.4 Compaction Characteristics
Compaction properties i.e. maximum dry density (MDD) and optimum moisture content
(OMC) were determined in the laboratory of all trial mixture in accordance with IS:
2720 (Part 8) - 1983. Variations of MDD and OMC of the mixes are shown in figs 5.8 and
5.9 respectively. From the figs 5.8 and 5.9, it is conferred that OMC increased and MDD
decreased with increasing percentage of BFS mixtures. The MDD increases by increasing
the content of BFS. The increase in OMC due to addition of BFS may be caused by the
absorption of water.
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 26
Fig. 5.1 Compaction Curve of 0% BFS
Fig. 5.2 Compaction Curve of 5% BFS
1.68
1.7
1.72
1.74
1.76
1.78
1.8
1.82
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
1.72
1.74
1.76
1.78
1.8
1.82
1.84
1.86
1.88
1.9
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 27
Fig. 5.3 Compaction Curve of 10% BFS
Fig. 5.4 Compaction Curve of 15% BFS
1.7
1.75
1.8
1.85
1.9
1.95
2
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
1.82
1.84
1.86
1.88
1.9
1.92
1.94
1.96
1.98
2
2.02
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 28
Fig. 5.5 Compaction Curve of 20% BFS
Fig. 5.6 Compaction Curve of 25% BFS
1.8
1.82
1.84
1.86
1.88
1.9
1.92
1.94
1.96
1.98
2
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
1.7
1.72
1.74
1.76
1.78
1.8
1.82
1.84
1.86
1.88
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 29
Fig. 5.7 Compaction Curve of 30% BFS
Table 5.3 Compaction properties of different percentage of BFS
Blast Furnace slag
in %
OMC in % MDD in g/cc
0
18.2 1.81
5
19.5 1.89
10
21.93 1.96
15
22.3 2.01
20
23.8 1.98
25
24.7 1.86
30
26.19 1.83
1.55
1.6
1.65
1.7
1.75
1.8
1.85
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
MDD=1.83 g/cc
OMC=26.19%
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 30
Fig. 5.8 Variation of MDD with different % BFS
Fig. 5.9 Variation of OMC with different % BFS
1.8
1.85
1.9
1.95
2
2.05
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
D
r
y
d
e
n
s
i
t
y
(
g
/
c
c
)
BFS (%)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
O
M
C
(
%
)
BFS %
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 31
5.5 California Bearing Ratio
CBR test is one of the common tests for evaluating the strength of stabilized soils.
The soaked CBR tests were conducted on samples compacted at OMC, and soaked for 96
hours in accordance with IS: 2720 (Part 16) 1987. The variation in soaked CBR
value with addition of BFS mixtures is shown in fig 6. The soaked CBR of BFS mixture
increases with the increase in the BFS content. With addition of BFS, CBR value
increases and then decreases for 25 % BFS content
Fig. 5.10 CBR Curve for 0% BFS
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 32
Fig. 5.11 CBR Curve for 5% BFS
Fig. 5.12 CBR Curve for 10% BFS
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 33
Fig. 5.13 CBR Curve for 15% BFS
Fig. 5.14 CBR Curve for 20% BFS
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 34
Fig. 5.15 CBR Curve for 25% BFS
Fig. 5.16 CBR Curve for 30% BFS
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 35
Table 5.4 CBR of different percentage of BFS
Blast Furnace slag
in %
CBR in %
0
1.5
5
1.86
10
2.51
15
3.18
20
4.35
25
3.42
30
2.75
Fig. 5.17 Variation of CBR with different % of BFS
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
C
B
R
%
BFS %
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 36
5.6 Physical Properties of 20% slag and soil
Table 5.5 Properties of 20% slag and soil
Property
Value
Specific Gravity
2.58
OMC (%)
23.8
Max Dry Density g/cc
1.98
CBR Soaked (%)
4.35
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 37
FINAL RESULTS
Blast Furnace
Slag in %
OMC in % MDD in g/cc CBR in %
0
18.2
1.81
1.5
5
19.5
1.89
1.86
10
21.93
1.96
2.51
15
22.3
2.01
3.19
20
23.8
1.98
4.35
25
24.7
1.86
3.42
30
26.19
1.83
2.75
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 38
Chapter 6
Conclusions
6.1 Conclusions
In our work we have made an attempt to utilize the waste material Blast Furnace Slag in
improving the strength charecteristics of road subgrade layer.
1. OMC increased and MDD decreased with the addition of BFS to the soil, Moreover
MDD increased with increase in BFS content.
2. The soaked CBR of BFS-soil mixture increases with the increase in the BFS content.
3. By comparing the above results of CBR value, consistency limits, OMC and dry
density, we can conlude that 20% of soil can be replaced by Blast Furnace Slag.
Based on the result of this project ,it appears that soil can be effectively stabilized with the
addition of BFS. Soil BFS mixture are suitable for use in rural roads, embankment and it be
used as provide fill materials of comparable strength.
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 39
Plate 3 Conducting liquid limit test Plate 4 Conducting liquid limit test
Plate 5 Conducting Specific gravity test Plate 6 Conducting Specific gravity test
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 40
Plate 7 Soaked sample for CBR test
Plate 8 Collection of BFS Slag Plate 10 C.B.R Testing Machine
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 41
References
[1] Yildirim, I. Z., and M. Prezzi, Publication FHWA/IN/JTRP-2009/32.
[2] Sanjay Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Amitava Bandopadhyay, Title:Innovative
methodologies for the utilisation of wastes from industrial and allied industries
Resources, Conservation and Recycling 48 (2006) 301314
[3] Koteswara Rao. D et al. / International Journal of Engineering Science and
Technology (IJEST), Title: A laboratory study on the utilization of GBFS and Fly
Ash to stabilize the expansive soil for subgrade embankments, November 2011
[4] R. M. Nidzam
; J. M. Kinuthia Sustainable soil stabilisation with blastfurnace slag
Source: Proceedings of the ICE - Construction Materials, Volume 163, Issue 3, 01
August 2010, pages 157 165, ISSN: 1747-650X, E-ISSN: 1747-6518
[5] Hongzhi Cui, T.Y. Lo, Feng Xing, Book title: 2nd International Symposium on
Service Life Design for Infrastructures,Title: The effect of slag on durability of
lightweight concrete, Publication year: 2010
[6] Zhulai Wang, Title: A research on ceramsite obtained from blast furnace slag and
sewage sludge African Journal of Biotechnology Vol.10 (60), pp. 12934-12942, 5
October, 2011 ISSN 1684-5315 2011 Academic Journals
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 42
[7] Ch. Nageshwar Rao, Dept. of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology
Karnataka, Mangalore, India. The 12
th
International Conference of International
Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG) 1-6
October, 2008 Goa, India
[8]
Wei-Hsing Huang The Use of Bottom Ash in Highway Embankments, Subgrades, and
Subbases. Publication FHWA/IN/JHRP-90/04. , Indiana Department of Transportation
and Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 1990. doi: 10.5703/1288284313434.
[9] IS: 2720-Part XVI(1987) Labotatory determination of CBR, Bureau of Indian
Standard, New Delhi, India.
A Study on Effect of Blast Furnace Slag in Road Subgrade Layer
Dept. of Civil Engineering, NMIT Page 43
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