Sustainable Incorporation of Plaster of Paris Waste to Check the Effect of Freezing and Thawing on Soils of Different Regions/Environments

Abstract

In several earlier investigations into soil stabilization, the effects of calcium-based compounds on both coarse- and fine-grained soils were analyzed and explored. However, research has yet to be carried out on how soils changed with calcium-based products or Plaster of Paris waste (POPW) react to freeze-thaw cycles. This study examined the effects of POPW addition on the strength and F-T behavior of three soils (A, B, and C) with varied plasticity’s. These tests aimed to identify how the addition of POPW affected these properties under F-T cycles. To monitor the strength performance, unconfined compressive strength tests were carried out. To get further insight into the durability of the treated samples, the mass losses that occurred after being subjected to F-T cycles were measured. The samples that had been treated and those that had been left untreated were compared after being compacted and cured for 28 days at the optimal moisture content. Following the curing process, the samples were subjected to compression testing in the F-T chamber at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11 cycles. POPW content in the treated samples varied from 3% in soil A to 5% in soil B to 1% in soil C, with each value reported as a percentage of the total dry soil weight. POPW treatment increased the compressive strength and the F-T durability of the samples. During the curing process, the samples treated with POPW were increasingly stronger, and the mass loss that occurred when the samples were subjected to F-T cycles was far less severe in the treated samples than in the control samples. According to the results of the F-T tests, the samples that started with the greatest strength ratings ended up losing the least strength over time. Using POPW in place of industrial waste in soil stabilization attempts was discovered to be beneficial financially.