Effects of lime treatment on the geotechnical properties of dredged mud

Abstract

The preloading method has been widely applied in land reclamation as a green and economical approach to ground improvement. To improve the consolidation behavior, the addition of lime generally improves soil performance. In this article, a modified oedometer equipped with a tactile pressure sensor and a bender–extender element is employed. The effects of lime treatment on the geotechnical properties of dredged mud are investigated; these properties include the coefficient of the earth pressure at rest (K₀), settlement, drainage behavior, and evolution of the elastic wave velocity. The results reveal that the addition of lime not only influences the specimen’s deformation behavior but also influences its shear strength during and after loading. Combined with the evolution of the elastic wave velocity, the microstructural evolution of the specimen could be described and explained. It is concluded that a compressional wave is more sensitive to the change in the specimen’s void ratio and saturation. For K₀, initially (<25?kPa), the higher the lime content is, the greater the K₀ fluctuation is. Afterwards, the higher the lime content is, the smaller the K₀ fluctuation is, and finally K₀ slowly approaches approximately 0.2.