- 2079 Bhadra · 2 marks
Bituminous stabilization
Short answer
Bituminous stabilization mixes soil with bitumen, cutback or emulsion. In sand, bitumen coats particles for cohesion; in clay, it waterproofs clumps, preventing swelling and strength loss. The mix is compacted and cured, used for road bases.
Explain bituminous stabilization of soil.
Bituminous stabilization is the improvement of soil by mixing it with bituminous material (bitumen, cutback or emulsion) so that it becomes waterproof and cohesive.
- In cohesionless soils (sand, gravel): the bitumen coats the particles and binds them together, giving cohesion and strength.
- In cohesive soils (clay): the bitumen waterproofs the soil clumps, so they do not absorb water and lose strength or swell.
Procedure: pulverise the soil, add the bitumen (about 4-7% for sand and 5-10% for fine-grained soils), mix thoroughly, spread, compact and allow volatile solvents to evaporate (curing).
Materials used: cutback bitumen, bitumen emulsion, tar.
Advantages: waterproofing, good durability, and suitable for road bases and subgrades. Limitation: not economical for deep or large works and is affected by high temperature.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Sonnet 5.5
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