Chemical stabilization of sabkha soils at high moisture contents

Vast expanses of arid, saline soils that occur along the Arabian Gulf seaboard and elsewhere possess a very low density and strength that necessitate improvement before any actual construction takes place. For large-scale constructions, several field improvement techniques have recently been implemented with various degrees of success. In surficial, small-scale applications, chemical stabilization provides a potential technique to improve the inferior properties of these soils, known locally as sabkha. A literature search indicates that chemical stabilization of soils using asphalt, lime and cement is usually conducted at lower moisture contents than the optimum. Such moisture contents are also much lower than the natural moisture content of sabkha, and if applied to sabkha in the field, this would require lowering the moisture content before any stabilization commenced; which would be neither feasible nor economical. In this investigation, an eastern Saudi sabkha soil was chemically stabilized at its natural moisture level, which varies from 16% to 22%. In addition to the characterization of the soil and standard compaction tests, cement and lime sabkha mixtures were prepared at five additions and cured for up to 90 days in plastic wrap. Results indicate that cement-stabilized sabkha gained high strength with time and proved to have a potential use in construction.