INVESTIGATION OF THE STRENGTH PROPERTIES OF LATERITIC SOIL STABILIZED WITH TERMITE MOULD SOIL

TABLE OF CONTENT

certification_ I

Declaration_ Ii

Dedication_ Iii

AcknowledgementIv

Table Of ContentV

List Of FiguresVii

List Of TablesViii

AbstractViii

CHAPTER ONE:INTRODUCTION_ 1

1.1  Background of Study_ 1

1.2  Objective of Study_ 4

1.3  Significance of Study_ 5

1.4  Scope of Study_ 5

CHAPTER TWO: LITERAURE REVIEW_ 6

2.1 General Overview of Construction Techniques.6

2.2  Laterite_ 7

2.2.1  Engineering Characteristics Of Laterites_ 9

2.2.2  Laterite Classification_ 12

2.3  Termites_ 12

2.3.1.  Mounds_ 13

2.3.1.1  Mounds construction_ 14

2.3.1.2  Mounds structural stability_ 15

2.3.1.3  Mound chemical composition_ 16

2.1.4  Soil Strengthening Mechanism of Termites_ 17

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY_ 22

3.1  Study Extent/Coverage_ 22

3.2  Materials and Methods_ 22

3.2.1  Test Methods on Soils_ 23

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND DISSCUSION OF FINDINGS_ 25

4.1  Results Of Termite Mound Soil And Laterite_ 25

4.1.1  Chemical analysis_ 25

4.1.2  Gradation of soil samples_ 26

4.1.3  Atterberg’s Limits_ 27

4.1.5  CBR TEST_ 32

CHAPTER 5:CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION_ 34

5.1  CONCLUSION_ 34

5.2  RECOMMENDATION_ 36

REFERENCES_ 37

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 4.1:  Gradation curves of sampled soils…………………………………………………….28

Figure 4.2: Liquid limits of sampled soils……………………………………………………………29

Figure 4.3: Plastic limits of sampled soils…………………………………………………………...30

Figure 4.4: Plastic indices of soil samples…………………………………………………………..30

Figure 4.5: Compaction test curves of soil samples……………………………………………….32

Figure 4.6: Maximum dry densities of sampled soils………………………………………………33

Figure 4.7: CBR Test curves for comparing soil samples…………………………………………34

 LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1: Chemical composition of mound soils and surrounding soils………………………...17

Table 4.1: Chemical composition of termite mound soil and laterite……………………………..27

ABSTRACT

Soil includes all earth materials, organic and inorganic, occurring in the zone overlying the rock crust. The behavior of a structure depends upon the properties of the soil materials on which the structure rests. So, based on this fact, it can be deduced that, the durability and efficiency of any structure basically depends on the stability of it subgrade and base layers which can only be achieved by chemical or mechanical stabilization. This project is an investigation of the strength properties of lateritic soil stabilized with termite mound for the construction of lateritic road layers. Two samples were collected, laterite was collected in a borrow pit and termite mound was collected at the middle mound, both in the University of Uyo , Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The samples were subjected to the following laboratory test. Natural moisture content, Particle (grain) size analysis, Specific gravity, Atterberg limit test, Compaction test, Califonia bearing ratio (CBR) test and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) test to determine the chemical composition of the samples. To achieve the optimum strength properties, the samples were worked in mix ratios of the laterite to  termite mound, i.e, 90% to 10%, 85% to 15%, 80% to 20%, 75% to 25% and 70% t0 30%  which are represented as SM1, SM2, SM3, SM4, SM5 respectively. The result of the analysis shows that at 75% to 25% mix ratio, the optimum strength properties were achieved. It was also discovered that the mound soil was finer than the acceptable specification range for subgrade and sub base layers. Probably this is the reasons as to why they are not desired in construction. In conclusion, it is discovered that termite mounds are not good in compression but when mixed at proper ratio can achieve the desired result.