Effects of the solid matrix of aggregates on the compression resistance of soil-lime mixtures

In this paper the influence of the granulometric composition on the characteristics of resistance of soil-lime mixtures, with different fine aggregates contents (dmax = 5 mm), has been studied. The aim of the research is to verify the effects of the quantity of aggregate (usually inert to lime) and of its interaction with a soil (silt with clay, which is reactive to the additive) on the stabilization process. Furthermore it has considered the influence of the maximum diameter of the aggregates, keeping unaltered all the other conditions. The analysis of the results highlighted that those mixtures composed of poor aggregates tend to assume similar values when the amount of lime can assure the complete reaction of the fine fraction. From this we infer that, in such cases, the resistance doesn’t depend on the lithic element, but it depends on the cementitious gel, represented by the soil-lime mixture.