Long-term performance and durability of lime-stabilized oil-contaminated soils

Area of Science:

• Geotechnical Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Oil spills pose risks to soil strength, especially in oil-rich regions.
• Existing research on oil-contaminated soils often lacks long-term (365-day) performance data.
• Evaluating long-term soil behavior is critical for infrastructure stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term effectiveness of lime stabilization on oil-contaminated soils.
• To investigate the impact of varying lime content (0-9%) and curing periods (1-365 days) on soil properties.
• To bridge the knowledge gap in long-term performance evaluation of stabilized oil-contaminated soils.

Main Methods:

• Laboratory testing of soils contaminated with 4%, 7%, and 10% oil.
• Treatment with 0%, 3%, 6%, and 9% lime content.
• Measurement of unconfined compressive strength (UCS), California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and wet-dry durability over 365 days.
• Microstructural analysis to identify stabilizing compounds.

Main Results:

• 6% lime content significantly improved long-term UCS (16.6%-24.5% gain) and wet-dry durability.
• Strength and durability improvements were sustained up to 365 days.
• Microstructural analysis confirmed the formation of calcium-aluminum-silicate-hydrate (C-A-S-H) phases.

Conclusions:

• Lime stabilization is a viable and sustainable solution for managing long-term oil-contaminated soils.
• This method enhances soil strength and durability, reducing the need for virgin materials.
• Promotes sustainable infrastructure development in areas affected by oil spills.