Abstract
Soil stabilization and reinforcement is achieved by introducing organic or mineral modifier additives, as well as complex mixtures, and this process may be accompanied by thermal or mechanical treatment of the soil. The use of pulverized metallurgical slag exhibiting hydraulic and pozzolanic properties is of particular interest. The purpose of the study was to investigate the properties of modified soil by introducing a composite mineral admixture based on unquenched lime and ground slag during mechanical treatment of the specimens under investigation. The experiment was based on mathematical planning methods and statistical processing techniques that assess the adequacy of the models by verifying the significance of the coefficients and the significance of the results obtained. The resulting models were analyzed using mathematical analysis methods for multivariate functions. The variables considered were the consumption of unquenched lime, the consumption of ground slag, the specific surface area of the ground slag, and the compaction pressure. The response functions were the strength of the modified soil at 28 days of curing under standard conditions and its average density. The studies have shown that the introduction of unquenched lime and pulverized blast-furnace slag allows for a significant improvement in the performance characteristics of the soil, especially under mechanical loading during the early stages of curing. The optimal dosage and specific surface area of granulated blast-furnace slag were determined: 363±18 kg/m³ and 383±10 m²/kg, respectively. Optimized dependencies of the soil strength and density on the lime content and compaction pressure were obtained, their graphical interpretation was performed, and an algorithm was developed for a computer program.