INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL
Engineers are often faced with the problem of constructing facilities on or with soils,
which do not possess sufficient strength to support the loads imposed upon them either during
construction or during the service life of the structure. Many areas of India consist of soils
with high silt contents, low strengths and minimal bearing capacity. These negative soil
performance characteristics are generally attributed to the nature and quantity of the fines
present in the material. For better performance of structures built on such soils, the
performance characteristics of such soils need to be improved. The poor engineering
performance of such soils has forced Engineers to attempt to improve the engineering
properties of poor quality soils. There are various methods that could be used to improve the
performance of poor quality soils. These methods range from replacing with a good quality
soil to methods that involve complex chemical process. The choice of a particular method
depends mainly on the type of soil to be improved, its characteristics and the type and degree
of improvement desired in a particular application. Recently bio-enzymes have emerged as a
new chemical for soil stabilization. Bio-enzymes are chemical, organic, and liquid
concentrated substances which are used to improve the stability of soil subgrade for
pavement structures. Bio-Enzyme is convenient to use, safe, effective and dramatically
improves road quality.
The process of improving the strength and durability of soil is known as soil
stabilization. The main aim of stabilization is cost reduction and to efficiently use the locally
available material. Most common application of stabilization of soil is seen in construction of
roads and airfields pavement. Chemical stabilization is done by adding chemical additives to
the soil that physically combines with soil particles and alter the geotechnical properties of
soil.
Stabilization of soils is an effective method for improving the properties of
soil and pavement system performance. The objectives of any stabilization technique used are
to increase the strength and stiffness of soil, improve workability and constructability of the
soil and reduce the Plasticity Index. For any given soil many stabilization methods, using
different stabilizing agents, may be effective to improve the soil properties in-place rather
than removing and replacing the material. Availability or financial considerations may be the
determining factor on which a stabilizing agent is selected.
 Microbial Geo-Technology is an emerging branch of Geotechnical Engineering that
deals with the application of Microbiological methods to improve the mechanical properties
of soil to make it more fitting or appropriate for construction and environmental purposes. In
these regard two noteworthy applications, Bio-clogging and Bio-cementation have been
explored. Bio-clogging is the production of pore-filling materials through microbial means so
that the porosity and hydraulic conductivity of soil can be reduced whereas Bio-cementation
is the generation of particle binding materials through microbial processes in situ so that the
shear strength of soil can be increased.
1.2 METHODS OF GROUND IMPROVEMENT
The term soil stabilization means the improvement of the stability or bearing power of
soil by the use of controlled compaction, proportioning and or the addition of suitable
admixture or stabilizer. Soil stabilization deals with physical, physio-chemical and chemical
methods to make the stabilized soil serve its purpose as pavement component materials. The
basic principles in soil stabilization may be stated as follows:
• Evaluating the properties of given soil
• Deciding the method of supplementing the lacking property by the effective and
economical method of stabilization
• Designing the stabilized soil mix for desired stability values.
• Considering the construction procedure by adequate compaction of stabilized layers.
Soil stabilization may result in any one or more of the following changes:
• Increase the drain ability of the soil
• Increase stability
• Reduce volume changes
• Control the undesirable effects associated with clay.
• Reduce settlement
• Increases sharing resistance
• Increases the bearing capacity of soil.
• Improving the local soil
This can be achieved by mechanical (or) chemical methods to make the soil stabilized for
fulfilling its purpose as pavement component material. Soil type is one of the key features
used to determine which method and material should be used for achieving best compaction.
1.2.1 Mechanical stabilization:
The Objective of mechanical stabilization is to blend different available soils so that
when compacted, they give the desired stability. In some areas the natural soil at an existing
location may have weak in nature (poor CBR). It may due to clay, silt or fine sand. Suitable
soil may be selected (contains granular material) and this is to be blended with the available
soils to improve the soil properties at a lesser cost in manpower and materials to achieve best
results (Increase of CBR).
The mechanical stability of soil-aggregate mixtures depends upon the mechanical
strength of aggregate, the mineral composition of the materials, the gradation of the mixture,
the plasticity characteristics of the binder soil and the compaction. With respect to mineral
composition, any material which is resistance to weathering can be used. Sodium sulphate
and sodium carbonate have a detrimental effect on the stability because of their high volume
changes caused by hydration and dehydration. Presence of chlorides and carbonates are
beneficial.
Factors affecting mechanical stability: The stability of mechanical stabilized soil
mixes depends on the following factors: Mechanical strength of aggregates, gradation,
properties of soil, presence of salts, mica etc. and compaction.
Limitation of mechanical stabilization:
• Original soils contains fines, use of coarser fractions for blending may be expensive
• If clay has been added to “Stabilize” soils, it should be susceptible to frost action.
• Creation of dust clouds results in nuisance to traffic
• Reduction of soil cohesion (or) binding forces ultimately leads to material
disintegration.
1.2.2 Chemical stabilization:
These are chemical substances that can enter in the natural reactions of the soil and control
the moisture getting to the clay particles, therefore converting the clay fraction to permanent
cement that holds the mass of aggregate together. The chemical stabilizer in order to perform
well must provide strong and soluble cations that can exchange with the weaker clay cations
to remove the water from the clay lattice, resulting in a soil mass with higher density and
permanent structural change (Raul velas quez et al, 2005)
It uses the following
• Cement
• Lime
 • Fly ash
• Bituminous materials
• Other stabilizing chemical admixtures
Limitation of chemical stabilization:
• In the case of cement stabilization increase in cement content causes increase in
strength and durability [Higher cost]. Also surface chemical factors, organic matter and
sulphate content alter the properties and durability of soil-cement. The presence of
Magnesium sulphate reacts with hydrated cement and cause reduction in strength.
• In the case of lime stabilization, it creates a dust (Hydrated lime) and this is not
suitable for thickly populated areas. Water is a critical component in compaction. Less water
results in adequate compaction and more water makes compaction ineffective. Lime requires
certain quantum of water for slacking process and it poses a problem in compaction.
• More mixing time is required when lime is used and it makes the process
uneconomical.
1.2.3 Bio-enzymatic Soil Stabilization
1.2.3.1 About bio-enzyme
Bio enzymes are catalytic enzymes that speed up chemical reactions they work
extremely fast in anaerobic or aerobic aqueous environment. Many materials change their
form over a period of time but transformations that would take years are accomplished within
a fraction of a second with the appropriate catalyst. Enzymes are protein molecules that speed
up chemical reactions some enzymes break down complex compound to form simpler ones,
while others build complex compounds from simpler ones. A single enzyme can perform its
entire function a million times a minute therefore chemical reactions occur thousands and
millions of time faster with an enzyme.
It is a natural, non-toxic, non-flammable, non-corrosive liquid enzyme formulation
fermented from vegetable extracts that improves the engineering qualities of soil, facilitates
higher soil compaction densities, and increases stability. Enzymes catalyse the reactions
between the clay and the organic cat-ions and accelerate the cat-ionic exchange process to
reduce adsorbed layer thickness. For other types of chemical stabilization, chemicals are
mixed with soil, which is difficult to mix thoroughly, but Bio-enzyme is easy to use as it can
be mixed with water at optimum moisture content and then it is sprayed over soil and
compacted.
1.2.3.2 Mechanism of soil stabilization by bio-enzyme
In clay water mixture positively charged ions (cat-ions) are present around the clay particles,
creating a film of water around the clay particle that remains attached or adsorbed on the clay
surface. The adsorbed water or double layer gives clay particles their plasticity. In some cases
the clay can swell and the size of double layer increases, but it can be reduced by drying.
Therefore to truly improve the soil properties, it is necessary to permanently reduce the
thickness of double layer. Cat-ion exchange processes can accomplish this. By utilizing
fermentation processes specific micro-organisms can produce stabilizing enzyme in large
quantity.
These soil stabilizing enzymes catalyse the reactions between the clay and the organic
cat-ions and accelerate the cat-ionic exchange without becoming part of the end product.
In the present study, one type of bio-enzyme has been used for stabilization of five types of
soil with varying index properties. Detailed laboratory tests were carried out to ascertain the
benefits in terms of reduction in design thickness.

1.3 SCOPE AND OBJECTIVE OF PRESENT WORK

From the literature it is understood that several methods were in vogue to improve the
performance of ground either by mechanical means electrical means or by additives (either
physical or chemical) or by inclusions in the soil. Not much work is reported on ground
improvement through Bio means. In this project an attempt has been made to study the
ground improvement using commercially available Bio Enzymes. For this purpose two
clayey soils. One of intermediate compressible and other highly compressible were treated
with different dosages of TerraZyme (common available Bio Enzymes)
Following objectives are in present work

o To study the effect of bio enzyme on load and settlement of foundation.

o To optimize the quantity of bio enzyme to be used as stabilizing agent and
extent of stabilization of strength gain with time.

Future scope for this research work is different kind of soils are considered and
different enzymes can be used with different dosages and the experimental work on
foundation settlement.