Stabilization of expansive soil by using waste beverage can strips

This thesis presents an investigation of the effect of waste aluminum beverage cans strips on strength and swelling properties of lean clay. Soil used in the study was collected from Shoraw-site in Kirkuk, Iraq. After performing sieve analyses and consistency tests, the soil sample was classified as lean clay (CL) according to a unified soil classification system. Waste beverage cans (WBC) were also collected from the same region and cut into 5mm strips before being mixed with the soil. Three standard tests were carried on the prepared samples: compaction, free swelling, and California Bering Ratio (CBR) tests. Different percentages of aluminum by dry weight of soil, ranging from 2% to 10% in increments of 2%, were used. Waste aluminum strips were placed in the soil during the compaction stage. They were randomly distributed in the soil horizontally. Test results showed that WBC significantly affected compaction characteristics, swelling and strength property of the clay. Addition of WBC in the clay increased its maximum dry density and reduced its optimum moisture content. The percent swelling of native soil reduced from 4.3% to 1.8% at 10% WBC by dry soil mass. The CBR values also increased from 2.7% to 9.6%. All test results indicated that WBC can be used in improving swelling and strength properties of clayey soil.