Effect of quarry dust on the engineering properties of lateritic soils

Thesis Abstract

This research work involves the improvement of the engineering properties of laterite soil by stabilization with quarry dust on fines. The laterite used for this research work will be collected at Osogbo. The sample will be subjected to laboratory tests at the Civil Engineering Department Laboratory Futa, Akura and Osun State Ministry of Works and Transport, Osogbo. The tests will be carried out on both the natural sample and the improved sample and will include moisture content, specific gravity, grain size distribution, Atterberg’s limits, compaction and California Bearing Ration (CBR) tests both before adding quarry dust and after adding a varying percentage and proportion of quarrying dust. The result of natural sample and improve sample indicate that it could be used to alter and make up for the deficiencies in the particles sizes. If the laterite thereby increasing the potential for use as base material. The result of moisture content is a decrease on the optimum moisture content for laterite cement mixture as the quarry dust content increases. This because the quantity of laterite that contains clayey particles, which requires water for the bonding action is reducing thereby needing less water for hardening . the result on consistency limits decrease in the consisting properties, quarry dust alter, the graduation of the laterite while cement is used to bind the mixture together, which in turn reduces the liquid limit, plastic limit, linear shrinkage of the resulting mixture. The result (CBR) is the clay fraction in the mixture is decreased due to increase in quarry which earlier on was done by the clay fraction at lower percentage of quarry dust on the laterite quarry dust mixtures. The granite in the quarry dust adds strength and rigidity to the mixtures the quantity of the quarry dust increases.