Marl, containing primarily carbonate (CaCO3) and clays of different percentages with occasional traces of organic matter, silt or sand is usually used as bases and sub-bases for roads and highways. Marl is usually used as sub-grade layers or as a backfill in base and sub-base layers for highway pavements. This type of soil has poor strength and high water sensitivity; a drastic loss of bearing capacity may occur upon immersion. Due to its poor strength and high water sensitivity, appropriate treatment from engineering perspective is necessary before such soils are recommended for use in any construction project effectively. Critical analysis of different stabilization techniques employed for enhancing the marl soil properties in Saudi Arabia for the last 30 years has been carried out to find the best engineering solution. Mechanical and chemical treatments were found to be more economical than drainage, dewatering and other techniques. It has been noticed that no study was done in stabilization of Marl Soil using Geo-synthetics technique Hence, it can be an alternate way for future research to improve marl. © 2017, Chulalongkorn University 1. All rights reserved.

View