Indirect Tensile Strength of Clayey Soils Treated with Cement or Lime

The objective of this research was to evaluate the sensitivity of indirect tensile strength (ITS) test results to stabilizer type, stabilizer concentration, and curing time for multiple clayey soils with varying plasticity indices (PIs). The scope of the research included treatment of three clayey soils with cement or lime at three concentrations each and identification of cases in which a minimum proposed ITS threshold was attained. The data indicate that the ITS test is sensitive to stabilizer type, stabilizer concentration, and curing time for the three clayey soils studied in this research. Differences in ITS among the soils were largely attributable to differences in PI, which can influence pozzolanic reactivity. A cement or lime concentration that was equal to or 2% above the lime concentration indicated by the Eades and Grim test was typically required for a minimum 28-day ITS value of 207 kPa (30 psi) to be attained.