Recent advances in the stabilization of expansive soils using waste materials: A review

Abstract

The increasing population necessitates infrastructural development, and these civil engineering infrastructures are constructed on soils. Highways, buildings, bridges, railways, and dams need a strong foundation; however, some soils are not suitable for making a strong foundation. An example is expansive or reactive soils. Expansive soils are subjected to volumetric changes, thus the biggest challenge that geotechnical engineers encounter in the field. In an attempt to make these poor soils more appropriate for use in engineering projects, different stabilization techniques are used. However, well-established stabilizers like cement, lime, and bitumen are associated with environmental challenges. This has attracted the attention of the researchers to look for environmentally friendly and sustainable stabilizers. The current study provides a review of the recent trends in improving the geotechnical properties of expansive soils using waste materials, focusing on their efficacy, the optimum percentage, and research gaps. Wastes considered in this study include waste tires, sawdust, and sawdust ash, and fly ash. The review utilized research articles extracted from different databases, such as Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google. This work could give the geotechnical engineers and independent researchers insight into the recent soil stabilization trends that could lead to sustainable development.