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Item Laboratory Investigation of Lateritic Soil Stabilized with Arecanut Coir Along with Cement and Its Suitability as a Modified Subgrade(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2023) Chethan, B.A.; Lekha, B.M.; Ravi Shankar, A.U.If a pavement is constructed on weak soil, its lifespan drastically reduces due to the low strength induced by moisture-induced destresses. Such soils may undergo considerable changes in volume. In order to modify these properties, soil stabilization can be done. By stabilizing the soil along with the improvement in strength, its durability can be increased. Stabilization may be of chemical or mechanical type. In this investigation, lateritic soil was stabilized using 0.2–1% arecanut coir, and its compaction characteristics were evaluated. The lateritic soil is found to be nondurable. The reinforcement alone could not improve the strength and durability effectively. Therefore, 3% binding agent ordinary Portland cement (43 grade) was added to the mix. Due to cement stabilization, UCS and CBR values were improved, and the optimum values were observed at 0.6% arecanut coir dosage. The addition of cement has resulted in a change in silica, alumina, and calcium oxide contents, thereby contributing to the formation of hydration products. The samples with 1% coir and cement have completed 12 wet–dry cycles, but the weight loss observed was >14%. All the specimens showed low soil loss under freeze–thaw cycles. The performance of cured specimens under fatigue loading was satisfactory. Since the specimens could not pass wet–dry durability criteria, they can be considered for modified subgrade. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.Item Alkali Activated Black Cotton Soil with Partial Replacement of Class F Fly Ash and Areca Nut Fiber Reinforcement(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2023) Chethan, B.A.; Ravi Shankar, A.U.; Chinnabhandar, R.K.; Kumar, D.H.Alkali activation has received great attention for improving the soil properties with suitable precursor materials. Industrial byproduct class F fly ash was suitably utilized to improve Black Cotton (BC) soil properties along with ordinary Portland cement by various researchers. However, the CO2 emission associated with cement production has enforced the evaluation of alternative binders. Laboratory investigations were conducted on BC soil by admixing various fly ash dosages (0–50%) and reinforcing the mix with 0.5% areca nut fiber. Alkali activator solution prepared using 8 molar sodium hydroxide solution (SH) and sodium silicate solution (SS) at 1.5 SS/SH ratio showed significant improvement in Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of stabilized BC soil on 7 and 28 days curing. The reinforcement was effective in improving the flexural strength of stabilized mixes. Exorbitant unsoaked California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values were observed on 28 days of curing. However, the samples could retain low soaked CBR values despite reinforcement. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images showed the reduction of shrinkage cracks and strong bonding of fibers in the stabilized mix. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns evidenced the formation of various hydration products due to the alkali reaction, which resulted in the high strength gain of mixes at ambient temperature curing. The leaching of mineral constituents from the set mix lead to the failure of durability samples. Due to nondurability, the alkali activation with a selected precursor cannot suit pavement materials requirements. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.Item Utilization of Recycled Concrete Aggregates Processed Using the Ball Milling Method in Cement-Treated Bases for Pavements(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024) Chiranjeevi, K.; Kumar, D.H.; Kumar, A.J.; Thapas, N.D.S.; Ravi Shankar, A.U.Pavement construction and maintenance have become very common worldwide as traffic volumes and vehicular axle weights continue to rise as the global population grows and technology advances. The extensive utilization of natural resources implies that their existence for long-term availability cannot be assured. Using materials from the various damaged and collapsed structures will save money and find a solution to the trash disposal issue. These materials have inferior engineering properties compared to conventional materials and cannot be used directly in pavement applications. These materials must be processed or stabilized by mechanical and chemical stabilization techniques. Processing of Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCAs) has gained more importance in improving the physical properties. In the current investigation, construction and demolition (C&D) waste was processed in two stages successively. In the first stage, C&D waste was subjected to manual crushing and further processed through jaw crushing. The aggregates were processed through ball milling in the second stage. The natural aggregates are entirely replaced with the RCA in cement-treated bases (CTBs) at 3, 5, and 7% stabilization levels. Mechanical and durability properties were evaluated. The RCA produced from the ball milling method performs better than the unprocessed RCA. The mix having 7% cement content with processed RCA met the specifications for CTB. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.Item Experimental Investigation on Fiber-Reinforced Concrete with Bagasse Ash as Binder(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024) Panditharadhya, B.J.; Mulangi, R.H.; Ravi Shankar, A.U.Utilizing waste materials in concrete provides an environmental disposal option. Due to a rise in infrastructure development, the demand for concrete raw materials has increased rapidly. In the current study, bagasse fiber after sugarcane juice extraction, bagasse ash waste from the sugar industry, and coir fiber from coconut are considered as potential replacements to raw materials. Bagasse ash is substituted with variable percentages, i.e., 5, 10, 15, and 20% of Ordinary Portland Cement, while Sugarcane Bagasse fiber and Coir fiber are added at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% of Ordinary Portland Cement. Cubes (150 mm *150 mm *150 mm), cylinders (300 mm height, 150 mm diameter), and prisms (500 mm *100 mm *100 mm) were prepared with M30 grade concrete. After curing for 7, 28, and 56 days, mechanical characteristics such as compressive strength, split tensile strength, and flexural strength were determined. Ultrasonic pulse velocity test was considered as a non-destructive testing approach to determine strength of concrete without destructing the specimens and compared with strength values obtained in destructive tests. Durability tests, i.e., acid attack, sorptivity, carbonation, and rapid chloride ion penetration tests were conducted for 90 days cured specimens. As per the experimental findings, adding 15% of Sugarcane bagasse ash and 1.5% of fibers increase the strength properties of concrete. With 15–20% bagasse ash and 1.5–2.0% fiber replacements showed better durability in comparison to conventional concrete. Therefore, bagasse ash, bagasse fiber and coir fibers prove to be sustainable alternative materials in environment-friendly concrete production. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.Item Utilization of Ferrochrome and Recycled Concrete Aggregates for Sustainable Pavement Base Layers—A Laboratory Study(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2025) Chiranjeevi, K.; Kumar, D.H.; Yatish, R.G.; Talkeri, H.T.; Mulangi, R.H.; Ravi Shankar, A.U.The paramount importance of incorporating alternative aggregates cannot be overstated, as it plays a pivotal role in resource conservation, sustainability promotion, and efficient waste management. This study focuses on the utilization of ferrochrome aggregate (FCA) and recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) within cement-treated base layers, aiming to entirely substitute natural coarse aggregate (NCA). The research meticulously fabricated cement-treated recycled and ferrochrome aggregate (CTRFA) samples with cement contents of 3, 5, and 7%. These specimens incorporated varying blends of RCA and FCA, ranging from 0 to 100%. In this investigation, strength properties such as unconfined compressive strength (UCS), flexural strength, elastic modulus, and indirect tensile strength (ITS) were performed alongside durability. The experimental results indicated that the cement content exerted a more pronounced influence on both strength and durability. The CTRFA mixes containing 50% RCA, 50% FCA, and 5% cement meet IRC 37 2018 strength and durability standards and can be used as a base layer for flexible pavement instead of conventional cement-treated base (CTB). © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.Item Durability studies on eco-friendly concrete mixes incorporating steel slag as coarse aggregates(Elsevier Ltd, 2016) Palankar, N.; Ravi Shankar, A.U.; Mithun, B.M.The present study discusses the durability performance of alkali activated concrete mixes containing steel slag as coarse aggregates. Steel slag aggregates, a waste product obtained from iron and steel industry are incorporated as coarse aggregates in alkali activated slag concrete (AASC) and alkali activated slag fly ash concrete (AASFC) by replacing traditional natural aggregates. The mix design for AASC and AASFC mixes are optimised to obtain sufficient strength for structural purposes and then steel slag coarse aggregates are incorporated at different replacement levels (0%, 50% and 100% by volume of total coarse aggregate content). Durability properties such as long term ageing performance, water absorption, volume of permeable voids, resistance to sulphuric acid attack and resistance to magnesium sulphate attack are studied in detail and compared with conventional Ordinary Portland Cement Concrete (OPCC). The ecological and economical analysis of concrete mixes is also carried out. It was found that the AASC and AASFC mixes displayed better durability performance as compared to OPCC. The inclusion of steel slag aggregates slightly reduced the durability performance of AASC and AASFC mixes. The AASC and AASFC with steel slag aggregates displayed lower energy requirement and lower production cost as compared to OPCC, thus proving it to be eco-friendly. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Item Use of Stabilized Lateritic and Black Cotton Soils as a Base Course Replacing Conventional Granular Layer in Flexible Pavement(Springer, 2020) Amulya, S.; Ravi Shankar, A.U.The present work investigates the improved properties of lateritic and black cotton soils stabilized with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and alkali solutions. The alkali solution includes a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. The lateritic and black soils are treated with 30% GGBFS and the alkali solutions consisting of 6% Na2O having silica modulus (Ms) of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 at a constant water binder ratio of 0.25. The treated samples were air-cured for 0 (immediately after casting), 3, 7 and 28 days at ambient temperature. The treated lateritic soil with 0.5 and 1.0 Ms is found durable after 3, 7, and 28 days curing. Whereas, the treated BC soil found durable with Ms 0.5 at modified Proctor density after 28 days curing. The formation of calcium silicate hydrate and calcium aluminosilicate hydrate structures resulted in a remarkable improvement of compressive strength, flexure and fatigue life of treated soils due to dissolved calcium ions from GGBFS, silicate and aluminium ions from alkali solutions. The microstructure image of the durable soil sample shows the crystal orientation of particles. The design of high and low volume roads is proposed by replacing the conventional granular layer with the durable stabilized soil and stress–strain analysis is carried out using pavement analysis software. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.Item Replacement of Conventional Base Course with Stabilized Lateritic Soil Using Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag and Alkali Solution in the Flexible Pavement Construction(Springer, 2020) Amulya, S.; Ravi Shankar, A.U.The use of cement/chemical-treated base and sub-bases is widely recommended in the pavement construction. Therefore, this paper investigates the behaviour of stabilized lateritic soil as a base course in flexible pavement by replacing the granular base course. The lateritic soil was stabilized with 25% Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) along with the alkali solutions such as sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate at a varying sodium oxide (Na2O) contents of 4, 5 and 6%, silica modulus (Ms, a ratio of silica to sodium oxide) of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 and a constant water binder ratio (w/b) of 0.25. The maximum compressive strengths of 5452 and 6593 kPa were achieved for a treated sample consisting of 6% Na2O and 1.0 Ms cured for 28 days at the light and heavy compactions, respectively, which is due to the formation of calcium silicate hydrates when calcium oxide-rich GGBFS reacts with water. Further with the curing period results in an increase in strength due to the formation of calcium alumino-silicate hydrates when GGBFS reacts with alkali solutions. The durability of the samples was evaluated by wetting–drying and freezing–thawing tests. The samples passing the required durability criteria were tested for flexural strength and fatigue life. Scanning electron microscope images showed closely packed crystal orientation indicating high strength. Low and high volume pavements were designed using stabilized soil as a base course, and the strains were evaluated using pavement analysis software. It is suggested that the conventional granular base layer can be replaced with the stabilized soil. © 2020, Indian Geotechnical Society.Item Stabilisation of lithomargic clay using alkali activated fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag(Taylor and Francis Ltd. michael.wagreich@univie.ac.at, 2020) Amulya, A.; Ravi Shankar, A.U.; Praveen, M.A suitable ground improvement technique is essential in order to confront the problems associated with lithomargic clay for road construction. The efficacy of alkaline solutions such as sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate along with class F fly ash and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) as additives to improve the properties of lithomargic clay is examined. The different mixes are prepared by replacing the soil with 20%, 30%, and 40% of GGBS and fly ash. The Maximum Dry Density (MDD) obtained from the soil replaced with 40% GGBS and for the soil replaced with 30% fly ash. An activator modulus of 1.25 is kept constant for the varying sodium oxide dosage at 2, 3 and 4 per cent. The Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of the alkali-activated soil cured for 3, 7 and 28 days is determined and compared with the UCS of the soil replaced with fly ash and GGBS at both standard and modified proctor densities. The different mixes are tested for the durability, California Bearing Ratio (CBR). The soil is replaced with GGBS and fly ash does not pass the durability test while the alkali-activated mixes with 4% sodium oxide dosage is found to be durable. © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.Item Strength and Durability Characteristics of Cement and Class F Fly Ash-Treated Black Cotton Soil(Springer, 2021) Chethan, B.A.; Ravi Shankar, A.U.This paper analyses improvement of the strength and durability characteristics of black cotton (BC) soil treated with cement and Class F fly ash for pavements. The increase in cement dosage (3–14%) improved the UCS, but the specimens could not resist WD durability cycles. In order to improve, industrial by-product Class F fly ash was used in addition to the cement. Different combinations of cement (10, 12, and 14%) and fly ash (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30%) replacements were evaluated for strength and durability characteristics. The higher dosage of fly ash reduced the plasticity with uniform distribution of cement cluster formations, leading to higher UCS. The soil mixes with (cement + fly ash) stabilizer combinations (10 + 30), (12 + 30), (14 + 25), (14 + 30) were stable against WD test with soil loss < 14%. Mix with (14 + 25) stabilizer showed a maximum retained UCS of 3.6 MPa at 2.9% moisture content (MC) after 12 WD cycles. However, most of the mixes showed high resistance to the FT test. The retained UCS of FT tested specimens was more due to low variations in moisture content. Mix with (14 + 30) stabilizer showed a maximum retained UCS of 2.6 MPa at 23.3% MC after 12 FT cycles. The soil samples with high cement and fly ash contents, with 90 days curing, can exhibit significant strength and more resistance to WD and FT cycles with soil loss < 14%. After drying, severe damage to WD specimens was observed due to the drastic absorption of water during the wetting cycle. Durable samples showed good plunger penetration resistance with an expansion of < 2%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed the formations of cemented interclusters. CSH formed resulted in strength improvement, as observed from XRD patterns. The 7 days cured WD specimens did not exhibit any volume expansion on soaking, thawing in water. A maximum volumetric shrinkage of 3.2% on drying and 1.91% on freezing was observed for stabilized soil. Hence, the stronger and durable stabilized soil mixes with high volume stability can be used for pavements. © 2021, Indian Geotechnical Society.