Effect of clay content on strength and permeability of plastic loess-cement

Plastic soil-cement is a type of soil stabilization used for the treatment of natural soil to improve its engineering properties. It is a hardened material prepared by mixing soil and Portland cement at a water content higher than optimum, usually near the liquid limit, without compaction at optimum water content to maximum dry density. In Bulgaria, this soil stabilization technique has been applied in foundation works in collapsible loess ground in order to replace a part of the collapsible layer, to increase the bearing capacity of the soil base and/or to isolate the geoenvironment from migration of pollutants. The aim of the current paper is to examine the effect of the clay content of the loess soil on the strength and permeability of plastic loess-cement. Results from the investigation indicate that the mechanical and hydraulic properties of the plastic loess-cement highly depend on the presence of clay fraction