Mechanical Properties of Low Plasticity Clay Soil Stabilized with Iron Ore Mine Tailing and Portland Cement

Due to economical and environmental issues, utilization of mineral wastes, e.g. iron ore mine tailing (IOMT), as road materials can be recommended as a sustainable alternative. In the present study, mechanical properties, as well as resistance to freezing and thawing cycles (F-T) of low plasticity clay soil stabilized with different percentages of Portland cement (0, 6, 9, 12 and 15%) and different IOMT content (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40%) has been investigated. To this end, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), initial elastic modulus (E0), and indirect tensile strength (ITS) at different curing times of 7, 14, 18, and 56 days for different admixtures was determined to select optimum mix design for stabilization of clayey subgrade soil. This study shows that by increasing the percentage of cement, strength parameters such as UCS, E0, and ITS increases while increasing IOMT does not show a specific trend to increase strength parameters. Evaluation of strength parameters at different curing time showed that in short-term curing times (7 and 14 days), iron ore mine tailing has a positive effect on the strength parameters, while in long-term curing times (28 and 56 days), iron ore mine tailing has a negative effect on the strength parameters. In total, it was found that 12% of the Portland cement and 10 to 40% of the IOMT passes the UCS and F-T criteria for stabilization of low plasticity clay soils, while clay soil (without IOMT) requires at least 15% of Portland cement for stabilization.