EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF BEARING CAPACITY OF SOIL STABILIZATION WITH MARBLE DUST

Abstract

Soft soils in road subgrades pose considerable engineering challenges; however, stabilization with marble dust offers an environmentally sustainable alternative. In this study, a 100 × 90 × 90 cm tank was employed to assess soils blended with 0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12% marble dust by dry weight at depths of 10, 20, and 30 cm. Then, the soil mixed with marble dust was cured for 7 days before the testing.  The bearing capacity increased proportionally with both the marble dust content and the stabilized layer thickness, reaching its maximum at 12% marble dust across all tested depths. Relative to untreated soil, bearing capacities improved by factors of 3.74, 4.52, and 5.30 for depths of 10, 20, and 30 cm, respectively. At a depth of 30 cm, using either 9% or 12% marble dust resulted in nearly identical bearing capacities, namely 5.30. Therefore, a 9% marble dust mixture is identified as the most efficient for practical applications. The interaction between marble dust percentage and stabilization depth is critical for achieving optimal results. These findings demonstrate that marble dust is a viable and sustainable approach for subgrade and foundation rehabilitation, supporting SDG 9 (infrastructure) and SDG 12 (sustainable construction).