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Cementx Pavement Blog

"Cheaper" Stabilization: Cement or Lime?

12/31/2016

8 Comments

 
By: Matthew W. Singel
​
An often-asked question when discussing soil stabilizing additives is whether cement or lime is the cheaper option.  This answer goes much deeper than the current price-per-ton comparison.  When asked, this question, I often answer, “that depends”, followed by a series of questions that might include:
  • Do you know the soil conditions on your project site?
  • Is your goal to achieve a stiff working platform during construction or a long-term contributor to the pavement structure?
  • Where is the project located?
  • Does speed of construction affect cost?
  • What are the acceptance criteria for cement and lime in the construction specifications?
Simply stated, there are many variables that exist from one project site to another and from one contract to another.  The cost for the stabilizing additive, its transport (distance from the project), water availability (yes, they have different water requirements to hydrate), need to quickly open the pavement to traffic, etc., can vary from one project to another.  In fact, cement and lime often require different concentrations to meet the specified criteria.  And cement is placed and compacted in a single day's operation, while lime must mellow, usually for 72 hours before compaction. Also, lime is less effective in low-plasticity soils and is inappropriate in non-plastic soils.  Cement is less effective in high-plasticity soils (where PI is over 40) but at these high-plasticity levels, a combined lime/cement stabilization can produce a superior subgrade compared to a single stabilizer. However, both stabilizers can produce desired results over a wide range of plasticities (approximately between PI of 15 to 40). 
Ultimately, the in-place cost per square yard or cubic yard is where the actual determination lies.  The project specification acceptance criteria might include target density, 7-day unconfined compressive strengths, PI reduction, application rates of additives as determined from a mix design, and stiffness readings to name a few.  Overall project requirements may have time or re-trafficing constraints.
​Hopefully, you now see that the initial question of “…which is cheaper…” does not have a simple answer.  The better question might be, "Which stabilizer--or combination thereof--can minimize the entire project cost, and ensure appropriate performance?"

"This blog was previously posted in the Cement Council of Texas' "Texas Cement and Concrete Blog" (now inactive) and was carried forward to the current blog ("Cementx Pavement Blog") as it contains content that may be of interest to the reader".
8 Comments
Ridley link
7/26/2018 01:02:47 pm

It's interesting to learn about soil stabilization. I like how you said that it depends on a lot of different things that really show which stabilization is the best option. Because cement can be stable in one day, that seems like a good idea.

Reply
Mike Lee link
1/17/2019 10:09:27 am

At work, we have a project and have been trying to decide what to use for soil stabilization. It is good to know that there is no one solution to the soil. I'll have to have someone test the plasticity of the soil before we make a selection.

Reply
Callum Palmer link
7/22/2019 10:51:20 pm

Asking a lot of questions should be a given for something like this. I'd for sure ask all of the ones that you have listed here. That way, I could be sure that the soil would be properly taken care of.

Reply
Randy Chorvack link
8/29/2019 02:47:48 pm

Thank you for explaining how cement won't work very well in the plasticity of over 40. I'm building a new house and I want it to be as sturdy as possible. Now that I know which soil stabilizer is better for the dirt on my property, I'll use that one.

Reply
Angela Waterford link
8/30/2019 11:23:02 am

It's interesting to know that there are combined lime/cement soil stabilizers that I can use to make sure that my vacation home will have a good foundation to stand on. I think that it's a good idea to hire someone to add these to my home's soil since part of the land that I own is sandy. If this will make sure that I can build my vacation home by the beach with no problems, then I'll be sure to have this done as soon as possible.

Reply
rachel frampton link
9/17/2020 07:54:16 pm

My husband is planning to have our house constructed this year, which is why we have decided to look for a service that offers soil stabilization because this will improve the soil's capability to hold heavy loads. Thank you for elaborating here that cement and life are both stabilizations, but will require different concentrations. Although, it came to my surprise that cement is less effective in high-plasticity soils.

Reply
Richard Rogers link
9/18/2020 02:16:43 pm

The effectiveness really depends on how wet the high PI clays are. If the clays are wet, then using lime first to break down and dry the clays, then add cement to provide a foundation that is more resistant to moisture. It is important to run tests to determine the amount of cement needed. Too much and you may get shrinkage cracking and too little may not provide the strength or moisture resistance that you need. Note that if only lime is used that there is a mellowing period of about 3 days that is needed before compacting.

Reply
deck builder link
12/17/2020 08:25:40 am

Cement stabilization is all that matters.

Reply



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    The Cementx Pavement Blog seeks to make pavement owners, engineers and contractors smarter about selecting, designing, constructing and maintaining pavements. New blog postings began February 1, 2017; however, we carried over pavement-related blog postings from our older blog, the "Texas Cement and Concrete Blog," which ran until December 2016.

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    Jan R. Prusinski, PE
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    Richard B. Rogers, PE
    Sr. Director, Concrete Pavements

    Matthew W. Singel
    ​Director, Soil-Cement and RCC Pavements

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