The stability and strength of the subgrade soil have a significant impact on the performance of pavement construction. Natural soils have weak engineering properties in many regions, necessitating stabilisation to increase their capacity to bear the superstructure loads. However, there are serious environmental issues related to the disposal of industrial byproducts such as iron ore tailings and fly ash. To stabilise soil for pavement subgrade applications, this study explores the use of iron ore tailings and fly ash in combination with geopolymer binders. Alkaline activators made from sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate solutions were used to prepare and stabilise a variety of soil-fly ash-iron ore tailings mixtures. The engineering properties of the stabilised geopolymer samples were evaluated through compaction tests, unconfined compressive strength, and California bearing ratio tests. In addition, microstructural analysis was performed using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, while the geo-environmental suitability of the samples was assessed through leachate analysis. The results reveal significant improvements in strength and bearing capacity with the incorporation of geopolymer binders with industrial by-products. The optimum mix (IFSG11) comprising 50% Soil,20% IOT and 30% FA with 60% Sodium Hydroxide (SH) and 40% sodium Silicate (SS) activator achieved a 28-day UCS of 6788.44 kPa and a soaked CBR of 30.70%, representing improvements of approximately 41times and 8.7 times over untreated soil, respectively. Microstructural analysis confirmed the formation of geopolymeric gel and improved particle bonding within the stabilised mix. The findings demonstrate that geopolymer-stabilised soil blended with iron ore tailings and fly ash serves as a sustainable and effective alternative material for pavement subgrade construction while promoting efficient waste management.
M.J. et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: