Accelerated Mineral Carbonation to Stabilize Non-Plastic Soils with Lime

Details

• Creators:
  Gallant, Aaron ; Hossen, Sk Belal ; Ashraf, Warda ; Zambrano, Luis ; Omokinde, Temitope ; Espinosa, Andres
• Corporate Creators:
  University of Maine. Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center (TIDC)
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program ; United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Carbonation Cement Chemical Stability Compressive Strength Construction Freeze Thaw Durability Instrumentation Mineral Deposits Plastic Soils Testing
• Publication/ Report Number:
  69A3551847101
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report
• Corporate Publisher:
  University of Maine. Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center (TIDC)
• Abstract:
  Accelerated mineral carbonation offers a promising low-carbon alternative for stabilizing non-plastic soils traditionally treated with cement. This study investigates the feasibility of using hydrated lime and carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate binders that enhance the strength and stiffness of sands and silts. Elemental laboratory testing evaluated the influence of density, water content, degree of saturation, and gas mobility on carbonation rate and mechanical performance. Results show that substantial strength gains—comparable to cement-stabilized soils—can be achieved through carbonation, with optimal reaction rates occurring under partially saturated conditions that maintain a continuous gas phase. Large-scale soil box experiments demonstrated the scalability of surface carbonation and assessed durability under soaking and freeze–thaw cycling. Carbonated soils exhibited strong resistance to environmental degradation, retaining improved mechanical properties. Overall, the findings demonstrate that accelerated carbonation of lime-treated non-plastic soils is a promising approach with significant potential to reduce the carbon footprint associated with soil stabilization for transportation infrastructure. The next challenge will be to develop enablement schemes such that this technology can be deployed at scales relevant to civil infrastructure.
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  University Transportation Centers
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d26dae02b00e8d618a937baf6ca018aacb0a2fa862ee4e5d2b4388211555abfd8aa32f12dac44abcd5b3439a5d4318a89b4f6c5b07daa0f4aa9cfb4f108b72de
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/88797/dot_88797_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 6.84 MB ]