Geotechnical Properties of Lateritic Soil Treated with Rice Husk Ash from Owo Community Area, Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Roads in Nigeria do not attain designed life-span due to poor quality of sub - base soils used during road construction. These roads formed death traps after developing potholes. This research was to determine the effects of rice husk ash (RHA) on stabilization of lateritic soil used for road construction. Three soil samples were collected in the study area at 1.5m depth. Soil samples were taken to FUTA for tests after they have been air dried for two weeks. The tests carried out include Atterberg limits, linear shrinkage, specific gravity, compaction, CBR and UCS. Soil samples were stabilized at 2, 4, 6 and 8% RHA by the weight of the soil. Results showed that the: specific gravity of the soil samples ranged between 2.64 and 2.68. The MDD was 1927Kg/m3 at OMC of 13.1% for the stabilized soil. The LS ranged between 5 and 15%, LL between 17.4 and 27.1%, PL between 30.3 and 53.0% and CBR between 3 and 34%. Soil samples tested have poor geotechnical properties and needed to be stabilized. The RHA stabilizer improves the engineering properties of the soil at 4% by weight of the soil. Therefore, RHA is suitable and effective stabilizer of lateritic soils.