Lime is often used to modify and stabilise soils during construction. It's a scientific process that helps improve the weight-bearing ratio of the soil to create a more stable and better draining soil. There are a number of ways lime stabilisation can be applied depending on the needs of a site. In general, lime can be applied in 4 different site scenarios. Read all about them below.

Land clearing

Lime can be used during the land clearing process if the site is too wet or slippery for proper earthworks to be carried out. Often, this is done on sites with muddy clay soils or waterlogged soils on. To make the site easier to work on, the soils are tested and a determined amount of quick lime administered. Quick lime helps to dry the site within hours. This soil modification process makes the site safer for construction. It also saves time in the land clearing process.

Stabilising weak soils in the sub-grade layer

The most common lime application process is the stabilisation of weak sub-grade soils. This is done during construction of buildings and paved areas such as roads, parking lots and runways. The lime is applied where the soils do not provide good drainage or are weak and will not support the subsequent paving layers. Through application of hydrated lime, the weak soils are granulized. This process improves their weight-bearing capacity and improves drainage. Thanks to this process, the sub-grade soils do not need to be replaced, and as a result, a lot of time and money is saved in the process.

Reclamation of contaminated land

Reclamation of contaminated sites is always a tricky endeavour. Such sites have poor structural stability and this makes any construction on the area dangerous. More so, due to years of dumping of material such as sewage or sludge, reclaiming the soil requires that it be stabilised first. Only then can the soil be removed safely or compacted and used as a safe sub-grade layer. After testing the soil particulars, the right lime levels are determined and administered. This has the effect of drying the sludge, granulizing it and thereby making it practical to handle.

Treating ground settling during repair maintenance

Even long after construction has been completed, lime can still be administered to stabilise the soil. This is often done as a repair maintenance process where the ground is seen to be affected by water table changes or poor compacting during construction. To stop ground settling, lime is injected below ground where it drains the soils and stops the expanding or contracting of the soil. However, this process can only be undertaken in areas where lime stabilisation tests have shown that the process will be sufficient.

In all these instances, lime application helps fast track the construction process, reducing construction time and costs. If your construction project needs lime stabilisation treatment, visit a site like http://www.hiways.com.au to learn more about the science behind the process.