Consolidation of Black cotton soil (Vertisols) 1

[WATERSAN]

Hi

As an aid organisation we are looking for a way to be able to make small constructions (e.g. latrine, incinerator, small 1/2 room buildings on one level) in Sudan. Problem is that we have to build on black cotton soil, which means that structures cannot be built in a traditional way.

My question is what means could be used to consolidate the soil so as to be able to build small structures on it. Would soil stabilisation using cement or lime be a potential option?

Limitations we face are that the consolidation method should be simple (we work with unskilled labour), if possible cheap, and use as little external material as possible (we have to fly in all construction materials).

Thanks in advance for your comments

ER

 

[1za26]

Maybe this information will help you.
Although the soil at your site might be not the same as the one described beneath, in general expansive clay soils allow the same treatment.

Modification of black cotton soils by chemical admixtures is a common method for stabilizing the swell-shrink tendency of expansive soils. Advantages of chemical stabilization are that they reduce the swell-shrink tendency of the expansive soils and also render the soils less plastic. Among the chemical stabilization methods for expansive soils, lime stabilization is most widely adopted method for improving the swell-shrink characteristics of expansive soils. Lime stabilization of clays in field is achieved by shallow mixing of lime and soil or by deep stabilization technique. Shallow stabilization involves scarifying the soil to the required depth and lime in powder or slurry form is spread and mixed with the soil using a rotovator. The use of lime as deep stabilizer has been mainly restricted to improve the engineering behaviour of soft clays Deep stabilization using lime can be divided in three main groups: lime columns, lime piles and lime slurry injection. Lime columns refer to...