Innovative Analysis and Advanced Modeling of UCS and CBR in Fly Ash- and
Cement-Treated Soils: Assessing the Influence of Chemical Oxides
Abstract
Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and California Bearing Ratio (CBR)
are critical for assessing soil strength under vertical loading,
especially in fine-grained soils, which often fail to meet the required
standards for road and embankment projects. This study examines the
effects of cement and fly ash on improving UCS and CBR through soil
stabilization. The results showed an increase in both UCS and CBR with
the incorporation of these materials, though the improvements were
asymmetrical depending on the dosage of cement and fly ash. The
variation is attributed to changes in the soil-cement or soil-fly ash
matrix due to chemical oxides like silica, alumina, and calcium. The
study modeled UCS and CBR using three mathematical models: pure
quadratic (PQ), interaction (IA), and full quadratic (FQ), based on 130
fly ash-treated, 31 cement-treated, and 50 untreated soil datasets. The
FQ model best predicted UCS (R 2 = 0.88) and CBR (R
2 = 0.95). Calcium oxide and curing time were the most
influential factors for UCS while curing time and optimum moisture
content were key for CBR. This study suggests a high-calcium oxide
soil-additive matrix to enhance UCS and CBR in fine-grained soils.