Binder-treated soils as an alternative building material for the backfilling area of structures

For ecological and economic reasons, the aim is to reinstall excavated soil from earthworks. If untreated, however, excavated soil with a high proportion of fine grains cannot be used as a building material for the backfill area. On behalf of the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), the extent to which the addition of binding agents improves the mechanical properties has now been investigated.

In the investigations an equivalence of binder-treated soils could be proven. This results in great potential for conserving resources without sacrificing manufacturing quality. The recommendations developed for practical action allow the derivation of the shear parameters and the stiffness modulus on the basis of the uniaxial compression tests. As a result, costly test series can usually be dispensed with. It is recommended to include the recommendations for action in the technical test specifications for soil and rock in road construction.