Improving the Properties of Gypsum Soil Using Cement and Lime Mixtures
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Soil is the medium in which the agricultural and non-agricultural activities are carried out and it is the base of food production for human beings. Gypseous soils are one of the most troublesome soil types, and can cause severe damage to building foundations because it's a collapsible soil. This failure happens when water gets to the gypseous soil grains and dissolves the gypsum bonds. Gypsum soils are highly soluble, and are poorly structurally stable and thus pose serious problems for construction and agriculture. These soils typically experience over settlement and loss of supporting capacity when they come into contact with water. Application of lime and cement stabilization has shown potential in solving these issues. The characteristics of gypsiferous soils, the conventional stabilizing materials (limestone and cement), and conventional methods of treatment are reviewed and the effect of these treatments on the behaviour of gypsiferous soils is examined. The physical and chemical characteristics of gypsum soils are briefly discussed, as well as the chemical reactions and equations that occur when cement and lime are added to gypsiferous soil; and selected previous studies that used these stabilizers were presented.
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