CLAY-CEMENT ADDITIVE FOR CRUSHED ROCK BASE STABILISATION: STRENGTH PROPERTY INVESTIGATION

Abstract

With the current base course material in Western Australia, namely hydrated cement
treated crushed rock base (HCTCRB), roads using HCTCRB require excessive maintenance causing from
its uncertainties. This study aims to determine specific strength properties of a potential replacement
material of a clay-cement stabilized crushed rock. The findings showed that a crushed rock material with a
newly developed 3% clay-cement binder, possessed unconfined compressive strengths and resilient moduli
significantly greater than that of HCTCRB. The developed stress dependent equation also purports that
this material admixture is still exhibiting unbound performance characteristics. A material’s ability to
acquire the accompanying strength advantages of a 3% clay-cement binder, whilst still potentially resisting
common failure methods such as shrinkage cracking, suggests that based on its potential
performance as a base course layer in a pavement structure, clay-cement stabilized crushed rock base is
considerable to be a viable base course material for Western Australia.