Application of metakaolin and cement in the stabilization of expansive soil: an experimental study
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1
Faculty of Civil and Water Resource Engineering,, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Ethiopia
2
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland
3
Faculty of Civil and Water Resource Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Wachemo University, College of Engineering and Technology, Ethiopia
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Submission date: 2024-11-18
Final revision date: 2025-01-16
Acceptance date: 2025-01-28
Publication date: 2026-06-14
Corresponding author
Semachew Molla Kassa
Faculty of Civil and Water Resource Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Wachemo University, College of Engineering and Technology, Ethiopia
Archives of Civil Engineering 2026;72(2):501-514
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ABSTRACT
Expansive soils have the inherent property of swelling when they have adsorbed water and shrink when dried. This property of expansive soil causes to damage structures constructed on it. To minimise the impact of the expansive soil, it is necessary to improve existing soil before commencing infrastructural construction activity. Samples were collected from Debre Tabor City from three test pits and tested for identification and characterisation. The soil was improved with cement content of 3%, 5%, 8%, and 10% by the dry weight of the soil. The results show that the optimum cement content was obtained at 10 % and that half of the optimum cement content was replaced by metakaolin with 5%,8%,11%, and 14%, respectively.7%,20%,23% 26%, and 29%. The optimum combined additive decreases the plasticity index from 64.76% to 27.5%, free swell index from 134% to 45%, maximum dry density from 1.33 g/cm3 to 1.36 g/cm3, California bearing ratio value from 1.28% to 5.15% at 5% cement and 17% metakaolin.