LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS TO ADDRESS THE USE OF COMPOST AMENDMENTS TO ENHANCE EXPANSIVE SUBSOILS

The process of composting of organic wastes is expanding rapidly in the United States and other countries since landfill spaces or disposal of organic wastes are becoming scarce and expensive. Compost materials, given their moisture affinity and low hydraulic conductivity, can provide stabilization of natural expansive soils by mitigating shrinkage cracking and encapsulating subsoil surfaces. To verify these advantages, a research study was conducted to measure the geotechnical characteristics of composts and compost treated topsoils (CMTs). Two types of composts, Dairy Manure and Biosolids, and a local expansive soil were used as materials. This paper presents laboratory test results from Atterberg, organic content, direct shear strength, free swell, linear shrinkage, and hydraulic conductivity tests and analyses of these results to evaluate the potential applications of CMTs to serve as highway shoulder covers to mitigate shrinkage cracks. The results indicate that shrinkage strains are reduced and strength and swell strains are increased with the use of compost amendments. Environmental assessments including the presence of organic matter are also addressed.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0784407568
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  Geo-Institute
  Reston, VA  United States  20191-4400
• Authors:
  • Puppala, A J
  • Banavathu, N
  • Qasim, S R
  • Williammee, R
  • Intharasombat, N
• Conference:
  • Recycled Materials in Geotechnics. Proceedings of Sessions of the ASCE Civil Engineering Conference and Exposition
  • Location: Baltimore, Maryland , United States
  • Date: 2004-10-19 to 2004-10-21
• Publication Date: 2005

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 91-104
• Monograph Title: RECYCLED MATERIALS IN GEOTECHNICS. PROCEEDINGS OF SESSIONS OF THE ASCE CIVIL ENGINEERING CONFERENCE AND EXPOSITION
• Serial:
  • ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication
  • Issue Number: 127
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Compost; Environmental design; Expansive clays; Hydraulic properties; Landfills; Materials management; Organic materials; Organic soils; Shear strength; Shrinkage; Subsoil; Waste disposal; Waste products (Materials)
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00987868
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0784407568
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 7 2005 12:00AM