Ways Soil Is Stabilized To Prepare For Development

By Author: William Hauselberg
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Modern structures, including buildings and infrastructural developments, require a stable base of soil to support them. Engineers employ a variety of soil improvement techniques to increase the stability of a site. Even though there are many of methods for achieving soil stabilization, there is usually only one or two options that are best-suited for a particular project.

Mechanical Stabilization

Soil stabilizers are heavy machines that gather and homogenize soil. This method only works on soils that already have an acceptable composition, but are simply too irregular to support weight. Normally this method does not require the addition of outside materials to the soil. Soil stabilizing machines can also be used in conjunction with other stabilization techniques.

Unbound Material Additives

Mixing loose additives to soil can actually increase its structural reliability. Even though gravel, sand and other fine materials would not be a stable surface on their own, they can increase the load capacity and stability of other soil compositions. Unbound materials can increase the drainage of areas with poor ...
... absorption to prevent frequent flooding. Loose materials have some cohesion due to the friction between the individual pieces, although they are far less sturdy than bound materials.

Bound Materials

Bound materials have a higher tension and capacity then their unbound alternatives, which makes them ideal for soil stabilization in areas with low tensile strength. Cement and asphalt are among the most common bound materials used in modern soil improvement techniques. Cement is moisture-resistant, so it also helps prevents erosion from decreasing the site's stability.

While bound materials are stronger than other additives, the fact that they are solid or semi-solid means they can crack and break over time. Excessive loads or frequent traffic puts stress on bound materials, so maintenance and repairs are required periodically to maintain stabilization. Accurate traffic and load estimations are important for determining the depth and composition of bound materials required to stabilize an area.

Biological Stabilizers

Plants and organic soil mixtures can be added to increase soil stability without introducing artificial substances to the environment. Seeding bushes and trees on an embankment helps prevent erosion, reducing the need for frequent terrain modification around infrastructure. Organic soil enhances water absorption to help mitigate the run-off effect from paved areas.

Multiple Additives

In some cases, acceptable stability for development can only be achieved by mixing multiple additives with the soil. Bitumen, for example, is often used in conjunction with cement or lime. Additives may be introduced one at a time or mixed together before adding them to the soil, depending on the chemical and physical interactions between the two substances.

Choosing the right soil stabilization technique for a particular project depends on a number of factors. The average particle size of the soil, drainage capacity and tensile strength are all considered when deciding which method to use. Taking and testing soil samples is the only way to identify all of the properties of a site's soil composition. In situations where more than one method can produce the desired result at equal efficiency, the cost and maintainability of the structure should be considered to choose a technique.

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