Extended ICL study for lime stabilisation: Navigating pH changes over prolonged time and differentiating the effects of lime aging
Extended ICL study for lime stabilisation: Navigating pH changes over prolonged time and differentiating the effects of lime aging
ABSTRACT: This study extends the conventional Initial Consumption of Lime (ICL) test methodology to investigate lime requirements for the stabilisation of Mercia mudstone and London clay soils. This would address the limitations of standard ICL test, such as oversimplified assumptions, reliance on short reaction times, and the inability to account for soil heterogeneity and lime aging. The extended approach incorporates curing durations of up to 240-hours at a standard temperature of 25°C, alternative target pH, varying lime content from 0.25% to 6%, and the effects of lime aging and mixing techniques. The incorporation of aged lime samples addressed the impact of reduced lime reactivity on stabilisation efficiency. Based on the experimental findings, London clay exhibited a clear decreasing trend in pH after the first hour with increasing lime content with a slower pH reduction over time at higher doses, whereas Mercia mudstone showed a less consistent pattern. Notably, a consistent trend of reduced pH values associated with aged lime across both soils further emphasizes the impact of lime ageing. The findings highlight the need for improved methods beyond pH based criteria for reliable lime content determination.
Isfahan Ghani; Ashraf El-Hamalawi; Matthew Frost; Paul Beetham
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Session 4: Sustainability in geotechnical systems
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-319