The Impact of Cement on the Mechanical Properties of Expansive Soil

Expansive soil is a type of clay soil that expands when wet and shrinks when dry, exhibiting extremely unstable properties. This often causes uneven swelling and shrinking deformations in buildings, leading to cracks, tilting, and even destruction. This paper explores the ameliorative effect of cement on expansive soil by conducting direct shear tests under different moisture contents. The tests demonstrate that cementing expansive soil causes a decrease in the particle size distribution, and a noteworthy divergence in the shear stress-shear displacement relationship curves between the two types of soils is observed as the moisture content fluctuates. The cohesion disparity is slight, yet the angle of internal friction alteration with varying moisture content is considerable. Adding cement to expansive soil can significantly enhance the stability of the soil, making engineering projects safer.