DefinePK

Abstract

Stabilization method for fibrous peat is more beneficial than other soil improvement methods; it is cheaper and environmental friendly. Therefore, it has been developed continuously to obtain the optimum results. The previous study shows that 10% of admixture (lime CaCO3+fly ash) causes bearing capacity of the stabilized peat increases and its compression decreases. However, the study was carried out without considering the field condition where the area of stabilized peat was only as wide as the area that will be built. It means that the surrounding of the stabilized peat is still the original peat with very high water content. Consequently, water from the original peat will infiltrate into the stabilized peat area which has smaller voids and lower water content. Based on this consideration, the study was carried out to check the effect of water infiltration to the behavior of stabilized peat. This field condition was imitate in the laboratory model by putting the stabilized peat in the middle of the original peat. The admixture (lime CaCO3+fly ash) used was 10% and the stabilized peat parameter was observed until 180 days. The results show that behavior of stabilized peat w/o-infilt improve rapidly because formation of CaSiO3 gel is faster; however, in short curing period (90 days), its shear strength drops drastically and its compression becomes bigger. On the other hand, CaSiO3 gel formation of stabilized peat w-infilt is slow due to CaSiO3 gel formation is disturbed by water infiltration. As a result, its behavior improves slowly and the optimum results of the stabilized peat w-infilt reaches when the curing periods longer than 120 days. It also figures out that water infiltration gives a good effect to the behavior of stabilized peat.