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Pavement Construction: Three Material Options for Soil Structure Stabilisation

There are diverse factors that you must consider when installing new pavements and driveways in your commercial property. One of the critical ones is the strength of the soil structure on which the paving materials will be placed. Unstable soil will shift quickly after construction, causing the accelerated deterioration of the new pavement. If your property has ground that is not suited for this type of construction, you should consider commissioning soil stabilisation procedures. Basically, these are processes that are designed to change the natural soil properties and make the ground suitable for your application. Here are the primary materials that you can incorporate into your land for soil stabilisation.

Lime

Lime is the most popular material choice for subgrade stabilisation during construction. Basically, the process involves application of controlled amounts of lime on the soil substrate on the potential pavement installation site. In most cases, quick lime is spread on the soil, and the area is watered. Then, the soil and the lime are mixed together to prevent indiscriminate shifting of the soil, particularly during the wet seasons. This method can be used on any type of soil, but it will be especially useful if your soil is silty or clayey. The lime will react with the silicate minerals in the soil to increase the strength of the ground.

Soil Cement

Cement is a suitable alternative to lime during soil stabilisation projects. This material is a binding agent, so it creates a link between the ground particles when mixed with the soil and some water. The chief benefit of selecting cement as your subgrade stabiliser is that it can be used on any type of ground substrate. It is particularly useful for sandy soil or regions with significant amounts of gravel. You should note that the amount of cement that you will require for your worksite will depend primarily on the type of soil. Gravel and sandy soil require a low percentage of cement while clayey soil needs a higher percentage of the material.

Bitumen

Finally, you can choose to incorporate bitumen into the ground to improve the soil structure. This option is ideal for pavement construction because the surface will be constantly exposed to water and pressure from traffic. Bituminous materials are highly viscous and very sticky, so the soil will become stronger after addition of the asphalt. In addition, bitumen is obtained from petroleum, which means that it is oily. Therefore, it will provide waterproofing; this property useful in preventing soil shifting during storms and floods.