Soil Stabilisation

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Ecocem GGBS and GGBS-rich blended cements are suitable technical solutions for your geotechnical works both when looking for soil properties improvement or brownfield remediation cases.

Case Study – Shinfield Studios

Contractor – O’Keefe

Target : Soil Geotechnical properties improvement & limit impact of sulfate swell.

On-site soil samples were recovered from trial holes and assessed: 

  • They appear under the form of mostly grey or brown clay , silty type soils
  • Organic levels well below 5% (average 1.9%) 
  • TPS values between 0.8% and 1.6% 

 Test trials were performed to assess impact of Lime+GGBS addition over: 

  • Maximum Dry Density (MDD) at Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) 
  • Linear expansion with time 
  • Soaked CBR value (3 days sealed + 4 days under water) 

 

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS for STABILISED SOIL 

CBR Value 

Compacted Dry Density 

≥ 5% 

≥ 95% of MDD 

 

Results & Recipe validation 

 

 

Optimum Moisture Content 

Maximum Dry Density 

Sample 14 

+2% Lime 

23.5% 

1.59 

+2% Lime + 1% GGBS 

23.3% 

1.59 

Sample 15 

+2% Lime 

24.3% 

1.57 

+2% Lime + 1% GGBS 

25.0% 

1.57 

No impact of GGBS addition/combination to a lime treatment over the on-site soil samples: 

  • Required moisture of the soil to achieve its maximum dry density 
  • Achieved Maximum Dry Density 

Small additions of GGBS over your current lime treatment will not affect compaction operation and preparation. 

Assessing the linear expansion (TPS swelling risk) after 28 days with variations in Lime+GGBS addition 

 

 

Sample 2 

Sample 4 

Sample 5 

Sample 7 

TPS 

0.85% 

1.10% 

1.60% 

0.97% 

Linear expansion after 28 days 

+2% Lime 

0.20% 

1.35% 

1.79% 

0.72% 

+2% Lime +1% GGBS 

0.12% 

2.01% 

1.40% 

0.45% 

+2% Lime +2% GGBS 

0.06% 

1.38% 

1.35% 

0.26% 

In all cases, the addition of GGBS addition on top of 2% allow for reduction in swelling after 28 days 

Final recipe selected for further (on-site) trial: +2% Lime +1% GGBS 

 

 

Linear Expansion @7 days 

CBR value 

Sample 14 

None 

0.02% 

1.7% 

+2% Lime 

0.22% 

19% 

+2% Lime +1% GGBS 

0.07% 

27% 

Sample 15 

None 

0.11% 

4.5% 

+2% Lime 

0.65% 

15% 

+2% Lime +1% GGBS 

0.13% 

24% 

 

All Lime + GGBS treatments on on-site soil samples enabled: 

  • CBR value of largely beyond 5% requirement and above pure Lime 
  • Limited significantly swelling after 7 days compared to pure Lime treatment 

 

BENEFITS 

High efficiency of Soil Stabilisation obtained with ECOCEM GGBS. 

A Durable and Low-Carbon solution for your geotechnical works. 

 

 

Suggested Project

Soil Stabilisation

Ecocem GGBS and GGBS-rich blended cements are suitable technical solutions for your geotechnical works both when looking for soil properties improvement or brownfield remediation cases.