Review
Emerging trends in expansive soil stabilisation: A review

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2018.08.013Get rights and content
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Abstract

Expansive soils are problematic due to the performances of their clay mineral constituent, which makes them exhibit the shrink-swell characteristics. The shrink-swell behaviours make expansive soils inappropriate for direct engineering application in their natural form. In an attempt to make them more feasible for construction purposes, numerous materials and techniques have been used to stabilise the soil. In this study, the additives and techniques applied for stabilising expansive soils will be focused on, with respect to their efficiency in improving the engineering properties of the soils. Then we discussed the microstructural interaction, chemical process, economic implication, nanotechnology application, as well as waste reuse and sustainability. Some issues regarding the effective application of the emerging trends in expansive soil stabilisation were presented with three categories, namely geoenvironmental, standardisation and optimisation issues. Techniques like predictive modelling and exploring methods such as reliability-based design optimisation, response surface methodology, dimensional analysis, and artificial intelligence technology were also proposed in order to ensure that expansive soil stabilisation is efficient.

Keywords

Expansive soil
Engineering properties
Soil stabilisation
Geoenvironmental issues
Standardisation
Optimisation

Cited by (0)

Chijioke Christopher Ikeagwuani is a lecturer and project coordinator in the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). He obtained his BSc and MSc degrees at UNN. He is currently working on his PhD thesis in UNN. He has been actively involved in researching and lecturing of undergraduate students in the Department of Civil Engineering of UNN. His research interests include stabilisation of weak soils, modelling of creep behaviour of expansive soils, numerical modelling of granular soils and application of finite element modelling to stability of dams. He has published well-articulated research papers in national and international journals. He has also presented papers in several national and international conferences. He is a recipient of several scholarly awards and a registered member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport (MILT), Council for the Regulation of Engineering Practice in Nigeria (COREN), Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigeria Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE).

Donald Chimobi Nwonu is a graduate assistant in Department of Civil Engineering of UNN. He obtained his BSc degree in civil engineering at UNN. He is currently a postgraduate student in the area of soil mechanics and foundation engineering. His research interests include applications of numerical modelling in geotechnical engineering, optimisation studies for construction materials, soil stabilisation and modelling the behaviour of stabilised soils. He has co-authored a couple of publications in national and international journals, and has presented papers in international conferences. He has also garnered several academic awards.

Peer review under responsibility of Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.