Geotechnical Behaviour of Fine Sand Mixed with Pond Ash and Lime

The present work has been carried out to study the effect of lime and pond ash on geotechnical behaviour of fine sand. Fine sand found in deserts and near sea shores is not readily suitable for supporting buildings and roads, as it is loose and vulnerable to collapse upon wetting. Fine sand having high permeability and low shear strength is also not suitable for earthen dam construction. For the same reasons, fine sand is not suitable for constructing landfill liners and covers. The disposal of pond ash from power plants has been a major environmental concern over a period of last few decades. In presence of moisture, pond ash reacts with lime and forms cementitious compounds which can be used to increase the strength of weak soil. A series of testing including scanning electron micrographs and x-ray diffraction has been performed to characterize the materials. Various proportions of mixes of fine sand with pond ash keeping lime constant were tested to find out the optimum percentage of pond ash.