Articles
DOI DOI: 10.62441/actainnovations.v63i.1165

SUBGRADE SOIL STABILIZATION UNDER RIGID PAVEMENT USING IRAQ'S NATURAL ZEOLITE AND GREEN CEMENT

Alaa M. Hamad 1, Asma T. Ibraheem 2, Ahmed S. AL3
  1. 1 Assistant Lecturer, Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Wasit University, Wasit, Iraq.
  2. 2 Assistant professor, Civil Engineering Department, Collage of Engineering, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq.
  3. 3 Professor, Civil Engineering Department, Collage of Engineering, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq.

Abstract

Stabilizing and improving the qualities of poor clay soils is often required in road construction operations. Reducing the thickness of the pavement layers during construction on subgrades with excellent to good qualities lowers the initial and maintenance cost of highways, and the opposite is true. The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of using Iraqi zeolite on clayey soil samples from Wassit Governorate, south Iraq when mixed with cement (C) and zeolite (Z). A series of laboratory experiments were conducted on samples at ratios of (C5%, Z0%), (C4%, Z1%), (C3%, Z2%), (C2%, Z3%), (C10%, Z0%), (C8%, Z2%), (C6%, Z4%), and (C4%, Z6%) of the weight of soil, in terms of their Atterberg limits, specific gravity, compaction, shear strength, and CBR properties. Next, the impact of the subgrade layer's properties on the response of the rigid pavement was assessed using the EverFE program. The results showed that the optimum proportion of cement-zeolite mixture was achieved at (C4%, Z1%) when the control blended 5% cement and (C6% + Z4%) when the control blended 10% cement. These optimum proportions reduced the liquid limit (14, 18.23) %, plasticity index (51.44, 74.03) %, and optimum moisture content slightly decreased (1.1, 5.2) %, and increased specific gravity (0.8, 2.2) %, maximum dry density (6.3, 8) %, UCS from 72.3 to (1620.7, 2571.3) kPa, and CBR from 3.16 to (28.7, 47.9) %, respectively. These results also showed that the cement-zeolite mixture for soil stabilization at (4% C + 1% Z) and (6% C + 4% Z) was better than the optimum proportions achieved by cement alone at 5% and 10%, respectively. All these results indicated the potential for improving the engineering properties of clayey soils by combining cement and zeolite. The analysis of the results of EverFE software showed the optimal mix ratio (C3%, Z2%) that CBR of 21.7% (28 days) reduced pavement displacement by 65% compared to untreated soil, With the lowest stress value compared to all other ratios of cement-zeolite. To determine the effects of using this optimum ratio of cement zeolite on the designed thicknesses of pavement layers. The results exhibited that treatment of the subgrade soil by (C3%, Z2%) with curing for 28 days reduces the cost of the pavements by 2,034 IQD per square meter.

How to Cite

Hamad , A. M., Ibraheem , A. T., & AL, A. S. (2026). SUBGRADE SOIL STABILIZATION UNDER RIGID PAVEMENT USING IRAQ’S NATURAL ZEOLITE AND GREEN CEMENT. ACTA INNOVATIONS, 63, 954–970. https://doi.org/10.62441/actainnovations.v63i.1165
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