Stabilizing permanently alters the soil upon which you are going to build. It improves the soil’s r-value and its sheer and unconfined comprehensive strengths, and lowers the soil’s permeability to water. With stabilization, you gain structural value which, ultimately, saves you time and money. Soil stabilization eliminates the need for digging out and replacing; and it reduces the amount of base and final application materials which would be needed to achieve the same results. Western’s Soil Stabilization is value engineering at its best.
Q:
Do you use the same material (such as lime) for all soil types?
A:
No; the materials used are dictated by the soil on your jobsite. For example, expansive clays need lime while granular soils need cement. The use of a trained and licensed geotechnical soils engineer is crucial to getting a proper mix design for your specific job. For examples of mix designs and MSDS sheets, please refer to our Technical Library.
Q:
Can pavement asphalt be placed directly on the stabilized soil base?
A:
Although this is done sometimes, Western Stabilization’s experience shows that an AB (aggregate base) layer acts as a barrier between the rigid stabilized soil and the flexible asphalt layer. This helps to prevent reflective cracking. As asphalt is porous, moisture drains into the AB, rather than sitting between the asphalt and the soil. See our Technical Library for some examples of typical stabilized asphalt sections.
Q:
Do we have to do anything after the Soil Stabilization is completed and before the top applications are installed?
A:
Yes; once compacted and finished, the stabilized soil must be kept top-wet or oil-sealed until covered with rock or asphalt. This is crucial. Moisture must be retained within the treated soil until covered. If the soil loses too much moisture, it will begin to crack.
Q:
How do you stabilize soil in landscaped areas?
A:
Because the pH of the stabilized soil is 10-1/2 (not conducive to vegetative growth), we carefully work around the landscaped areas. If landscaping is necessary in a stabilized area, topsoil can be placed on the surface and shallow-rooted plants can be grown. For bigger plants, large holes can be dug in the stabilized layer with fresh soil added to accommodate roots and to facilitate drainage.
Q:
Is leaching a problem with Soil Stabilization?
A:
Soil Stabilization raises the soil’s pH for only a short distance adjacent to the stabilized section. Because the calcium hydroxide in Western’s Soil Stabilization materials has only a limited solubility in water, its impact upon storm water run-off is minor. Not only is it diluted rapidly, it reacts with environmental carbon dioxide, clay minerals, and other organic substances contained in the run-off to become neutralized.
