Journal Published Online: 05 October 2015
Volume 4, Issue 1

Improving Early Age Strength of Very High Moisture Content Fine Grained Soil via Specialty Ground Portland Cement

CODEN: ACEMF9

Abstract

This paper explores the possibility of stabilizing very high moisture content fine grained soils (VHMS) for disaster recovery purposes using “on demand” portland cement. This effort investigates feasible modifications to portland cement properties that could occur within hours at full scale facilities and improve early strength (7 days or less) properties of cemented VHMS. Two portland cement plants produced four specialty grind, or “on demand,” cements for purposes of this research that were tested as part of a program with 1195 unconfined compression tests. The “on demand” cements had varying Blaine fineness and sulfur trioxide (SO3) contents, since these are feasible modifications that can occur rapidly. Discussion is provided herein regarding current marketplace cement properties and feasible modifications to those properties for disaster recovery purposes. The overall conclusion of this effort was that modest shear strength improvements could be gained through “on demand” cements that may or may not be sufficient to warrant their use relative to current marketplace cements for any given set of conditions. “On demand” cements with ASTM C150/C150M-15 Type III fineness levels and reduced SO3 showed decreasing benefit with increasing soil liquid limit, whereas above typical fineness and reduced SO3 followed the opposite trend.

Author Information

Howard, Isaac
Materials and Construction Industries Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mississippi State Univ., Mississippi State, MS, US
Carruth, William
U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS, US
Tim Cost, V.
Holcim (US) Inc., Canton, MS, US
Pages: 20
Price: $25.00
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Details
Stock #: ACEM20140046
ISSN: 2165-3984
DOI: 10.1520/ACEM20140046