Lateritic Soil Stabilization by Addition of Steel Slags

Abstract

The addition of electric arc furnace slag and ladle furnace slag on strength improvement of lateritic soil was studied in this work. Liquid limit, plasticity index, and the California bearing ratio of lateritic soil mixed with the slags were determined in comparison to those of ordinary lateritic soil. A scanning electron microscope was used to confirm the effect of those two slags on microstructures related to chemical components of raw materials and the strength of lateritic soil. The deterioration of California bearing ratio, liquid limit, and plastic index values were obtained when the electric arc furnace slag was mixed in lateritic soil. Meanwhile, the California bearing ratio of lateritic soil was highly improved with the addition of ladle furnace slag, owing to the hydration reaction between water and excess lime in ladle furnace slag with free silica in lateritic soil. The values of the plasticity index were also comparable to the ordinary lateritic soil. Microstructures confirmed a highly compacted surface of mixed lateritic soil with ladle furnace slag. The ladle furnace slag is therefore one of the promising alternative low-cost materials for the soil-stabilizing application.