EFFECT OF IMPROVEMENT FOR GYPSEOUS SOIL ON

PERMEABILITY

Prof. Dr Mohammaed Majeed Al-Ani

Taha Yaseen Al-Kaabi

University of Technology
Building and Construction
Engineering Department
Chief of Road and Bridge Section

M. .S. in Geotechnical Engineering

H.D. in Computer Science
National Center for Constructional
Laboratory and Research (NCCLR)
Director of Soil Investigation section

1- ABSTRACT:
There are large areas in Ain Al-Tamor zone, about 65 km. west of Karbala city in
Iraq, the soils which covers the surface layer for these areas consist of gypseous sandy
soil with high collapsibility. The purpose of this study is to improve and use these
soils as natural bases for structures in the future. The essential idea represents in
investigation the possibility of using suitable local materials, (marly limestone,
bentonite) as additive with different percent (10% , 20%, 30%, ) to reduce the
permeability and increase the dry unit weight of gypseous sandy soil.

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2- INTRODUCTION:
Large areas of Iraq are covered with gypseous soils (more than 20%). They are often
used as natural foundation bases for structures. Many engineering problems are faced
due to dissolution of gypsum when these soils are wetted, soaked or leached with
water. These problems lead to cracks, tilting and collapse of the structure. Presence of
gypsum in soils represents one of the most complex engineering problems due to its
detrimental behavior, especially when accompanied by environmental changes in
moisture content, (Nashat 1990). Gypsum acts as a binder between soil particles and
causes the soil to be very hard when it is dry. It dissolves in the presence of water and
the soil becomes problematic collapsible and undergoes large settlement under long
term flooding with water. After the construction of some projects on gypseous soil in
Iraq during the past thirty years they were faced with many problems such as leaks,
cracks, tilting, overturning and collapse of structures. Failure of different structures
constructed on gypseous soils in various locations in Iraq were recorded such as
Samarra tourist hotel, Tikrit training center, Tikrit water storage tank, Kerbala
elevated water tank, Dujail communication center and Habbaniyah tourist village,
(Sirwan et al 1989).
Problems caused by gypseous soils have been reported in
several areas in the world in addition to Iraq, such as Arabian Peninsula, Russia, USA,
and Spain.
3- SOIL STABILIZATION:
Soil stabilization is the alteration of the soil properties to improve its engineering
performance with several methods, such as mechanical, chemical and thermals. The
improving materials such as bentonite , lime and cement were used as additive, mixed
with the gypeous soil to investigate the possibility of using it as improving of soil
behavior and to study their effect on permeability, collapsibility by using models and
shear strength properties for gypseous soil improved with marly limestone, and study
the collapsibility by using models for gypseous soil improved with bentonite and
cement.
4- FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY TEST
This procedure is used to measuring the coefficient of permeability in soils with
medium to low permeability, by connecting the soil specimen with stand pipe which
provides the head of water and measuring the head after the water flow through the
specimen in specified time interval. According to the type of materials being tested,
a suitable diameter of the standpipe should be selected.
The coefficient of permeability of the specimens (kt) is calculated from the
following equation:-

Kt

a .L
A

1
. log
t

where :L : Length of sample (mm).

a : Area of cross-section of stand pipe tube (mm2).
A : Area of cross-section of sample (mm2).

h1 : Height of water in stand pipe at t1 (cm).

h 1
h 2

(1)

h2 : Height of water in stand pipe at t2 (cm).

t : The time difference (t1-t2) (sec).

Photo (1) Falling Head Permeability tests Apparatus

5- MATERIALS USED FOR IMPROVEMENT:
Two types of improved materials were used in this study
1-Marly limestone: was found in the same study site.
2-Bentonite Used: was brought from western zone, Trafawi site, about 35 km south of
H3 station
6-RESULTS AND DISCUTION
A - Grain Size Distribution:
Results of the improvement materials (marly limestone and bentonite) show that they
are finer than the gypseous soil.
PARTICLE-SIZEDISTRIBUTION
200

100
Pe
rc
en
ta
ge
Fi
ne
r
Th
an

clay

15 Bentonite

0.001
D

3/8"

1"

'$
%
"
$ "
"
1

2"

" %
$ '

"

'%
Natural -Dry Test
Natural -wet Test

'
$
%

"

Natural -Dry Test

after 10 days leaching
Natural -Dry Test
after 10 days leaching

)
*
)
0.0001

10

25

40

*
**) )
* )))
*)
)

75

50

100

0.01
15 Marly Limestone

Silt

"
$
'
'
$
"
%
'"
' $
' $
' $
$
' $
% D

e
85Bentonite0.1

$
'
%

Marly Limestone
Bentonite

15Soil

10

85Marly
Limestonee

Sand
Fine

Meduim

Coarse

Gravel

100

Marly Limestone Percent

Mixed with Soil

B - Atterberg Limits
The results of Atterberg limits tests are presented in Fig. 4 for the gypseous soil in the
natural state and after mixing with different percents of grainy marly limestone . The
natural gypeous soils appear to have small values of liquid limit and there is no plastic
limit. The grainy marly limestone as improved material when mixed with natural soils
contributed to increasing markedly in liquid limit and plasticity index. While the
plastic limit had no change.

60
50

P.I.

P.L.

L.L

40
30
20
10
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Moisture Content %

Fig. (2 ) Atterberg Limits Tests Results

C- Coefficient of Permeability
Permeability tests were carried out by variable head permeability method , as
presented in Table (2): Table (2) the Coefficient of Permeability ( k ) Test Results
No.

(k)

Soil Type

Void

mm/sec.

Ratio

kN/m3

Gypseous soil (untreated)

5.98 x 10-3

1.132

12.18

Gypseous soil mixed with 10% of marly

8.08 x 10-4

1.106

12.34

6.69 x 10-4

1.079

12.50

4.60 x 10-4

0.873

13.87

limestone
3

Gypseous soil mixed with 20% of marly

limestone

Gypseous soil mixed with 30% of marly

limestone
5

Gypseous soil mixed with 40% of marly

5.05 x 10-4

0.906

13.6

1.03 x 10-3

1.132

12.66

limestone
6

Gypseous soil mixed with 10% of bentonite

Gypseous soil mixed with 20% of bentonite

1.06 x 10-4

1.050

12.67

Gypseous soil mixed with 30% of bentonite

9.81 x 10-4

1.080

12.78

It can be noticed that the coefficient of permeability and void ratio for untreated
Gypseous soil (zero % of improving materials) has a maximum value and it was
slightly reduced with increasing the percent of improving materials percent. For
grainy marly limestone and bentonite, the dry unit weight values were slightly
increased with the increasing in improving materials for 30% limit. This phenomenon
is attributed to the fact that the improving materials affected the particle orientation.
It can be contemplate the effects of improving materials in permeability, dry unit
weight and void ratio in Fig. (14-13) and Fig. (4-14), It is noticed that the addition
grainy limestone and bentonite led to a reduction in coefficient of permeability and

Marly Limestone Percent added to Soil

10
20
30
40

0.1

0.01

0.001

Dry unit weight kN/m^3

Permeability mm/sec

depend on the added improving material quantity.

15
14
13
12
11
10

10
20
30
Marly Lime stone Percent added to Soil

40

Permeability mm/sec

15
14
13
12
11
10
1.5 30
0
10
20
Bentonite Percent mixed withSoil
1.3
Void Ratio

Dry unit weight kN/m^ 3

Fig. (3) Effect of Marly Limestone in Some Gypseous Properties

10

20

0.001

40
0.00001
Bentonite Percent mixed with Soil

1.1
0.9
0.7
0

10

20

30

40

Marly Lime stone Percent added to Soil

1.7

void ratio

1.5
1.3
1.1
0.9
0.7
0

30

0.1

10
20
30
Bentonite Percent mixed with Soil

40

Fig. (4) Effect of Bentonite in Some Gypseous Properties

7 - CONCLUSIONS:
Based on the results, which it is presented, the following conclusions can be made.
These conclusions are limited to the materials used and test conditions under which
the tests are conducted.
1- Ten days leaching of specimens caused an increase in the materials
passing sieve No. 200 (about 5%) in sieve analysis. This phenomenon
was due to removal of gypsum by leaching.

40

2- The improvement of gypseous soil was achieved by use of different types of

local improving materials (grainy marly limestone, bentonite) as additive
.
3- Adding the grainy marly limestone to gypseous soil gave increasing
values in liquid limit and plasticity index, while the plastic limit was not
changed.
4-

Improving gypseous soil by using (30%) bentonite gave a reduction in

coefficient of permeability (k) reduced from (0.00598 to 0.000981)
mm/sec, while the reduction coefficient of permeability by using (30%)
marly limestone from (0.00598 to 0.000460) mm/sec. #

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