A Thesis on Investigation on the Engineering Properties of Soil Stabilized by Biological Methods

Abstract

Ground improvement or soil stabilization helps in the modification of physical and engineering properties of the soil, thereby making it more suitable for various Civil engineering projects. Many research works have been reported in the past using conventional stabilizers such as lime, fly ash, chemical additives, GGBS, waste plastics etc. The use of conventional methods of stabilization poses several issues such as brittle failure, corrosive soil environment etc. The decreasing availability and increasing cost of construction materials together with the drawbacks confronted by the traditional methods have forced the researchers to focus on ground improvement using sustainable stabilizing agents. In recent years, bio-mediated soil improvement has been gaining significance due to its sustainable and eco-friendly nature. In this method, enzymes or microorganisms are used as catalysts in altering the soil properties. Bio-enzymes are chemical, organic and liquid concentrated substances which are formulated from vegetable extracts and found to be free from side effects.