| Abstract |
Curing conditions critically affect the physical and mechanical properties of stabilized soils, thereby determining engineering performance in field applications for soil improvement. The coal-derived char, a byproduct of coal pyrolysis, is conventionally used for gasification and combustion and has shown benefits in terms of facilitating cement hydration and strength development for multiple cement-based construction materials. A recent study indicates that the addition of coal char can increase the strength and durability of cement-stabilized soil cured at ambient temperature. However, currently, there are very few studies focusing on the impact of different curing conditions on the properties of coal char-cement stabilized soils. This paper presents an experimental study on the effects of different curing environments (i.e., soaked and mud conditions) and temperatures (i.e., 5°C and 35°C) on bulk density, pH, water content, and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of conventional cement and char-cement stabilized soils. It is found that at 60 days and the same cement content of 10%, the UCS and pH of char-cement stabilized soil (char content = 10%) are 3.5%−7% higher and 0.8%−4% lower, respectively, than cement-stabilized soil regardless of various curing environments and conditions. |
, Priyanka Joshi 
