Marble Powder as a Soil Stabilizer: An Experimental Investigation of the Geotechnical Properties and Unconfined Compressive Strength Analysis

Abstract

Fine-grained soils present engineering challenges. Stabilization with marble powder has shown promise for improving engineering properties. Understanding the temporal evolution of Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) and geotechnical properties in stabilized soils could aid strength assessment. This study investigates the stabilization of fine-grained clayey soils using waste marble powder as an alternative binder. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the geotechnical properties of soil–marble powder mixtures, including Atterberg’s limits, compaction characteristics, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS), and Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS). The effects of various factors, such as curing time, molding water content, and composition ratios, on UCS, were analyzed using Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) techniques, including histograms, box plots, and statistical modeling. The results show that the CBR increased from 10.43 to 22.94% for unsoaked and 4.68 to 12.46% for soaked conditions with 60% marble powder, ITS rose from 100 to 208 kN/m2 with 60–75% marble powder, and UCS rose from 170 to 661 kN/m2 after 28 days of curing, molding water content (optimum at 22.5%), and composition ratios (optimum at 60% marble powder). Complex modeling yielded R2 (0.954) and RMSE (29.82 kN/m2) between predicted and experimental values. This study demonstrates the potential of utilizing waste marble powder as a sustainable and cost-effective binder for soil stabilization, transforming weak soils into viable construction materials.

Experiment and Analysis of Variance for Stabilizing Fine-Grained Soils with Cement and Sawdust Ash as Liner Materials

“…The existence of an ideal additive combination (6% cement + 6% sawdust ash in our case) yielding the lowest permeability values aligns with the work of Al-Tabbaa and Evans. They reported an optimum lime-GGBS proportion that maximized pozzolanic reactions and filler effects, thereby minimizing the flow potential in treated clays [78]. The reduced hydraulic conductivity values at moisture contents slightly wet of optimum are consistent with findings reported by several researchers investigating stabilized soils and compacted clay liners.…”

“…However, we acknowledge that a limitation of our study is the lack of microstructural investigations to elucidate the precise mechanisms behind the permeability trends observed. Future studies coupling hydraulic testing with techniques like SEM/XRD could provide deeper insights, as demonstrated by researchers like Mirzababaie et al working on natural pozzolan-amended clays [78].…”

“…The existence of an ideal additive combination (6% cement + 6% sawdust ash in our case) yielding the lowest permeability values aligns with the work of Al-Tabbaa and Evans. They reported an optimum lime-GGBS proportion that maximized pozzolanic reactions and filler effects, thereby minimizing the flow potential in treated clays [78].…”

Recycling of Industrial Waste as Soil Binding Additives—Effects on Soil Mechanical and Hydraulic Properties during Its Stabilisation before Road Construction

“…They showed that the optimal marble powder content for maximizing engineering effects is approximately 60% dry matter. CBR capacity ranges from 10.43% to 22.94% for unsoaked conditions and 4.68% to 12.46% for soaked conditions with 60% marble powder [14]. An experimental study made by Gallaego-Quintana to analyze the mechanical properties of a soil stabilized with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) under a sustainable approach consisting of a significant substitution of OPC for sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) to reduce the quantity of cement used in the stabilization shows that the 25% partial replacement of OPC by SCBA shows the best performance in its maximum dry density, reaching a compressive strength and California bearing ratio significantly close to the soil values with 100% OPC; this could imply, in practical terms, a reduction in cement consumption [15].…”

Transforming Landslide Prediction: A Novel Approach Combining Numerical Methods and Advanced Correlation Analysis in Slope Stability Investigation

“…Predicting landslides remains a challenge in the fields of civil engineering, mining, and environmental protection because slope stability is of paramount importance [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. The safety factor is a critical parameter in slope design.…”