Improvement of Gravelly Laterite and Cement Stable Disposal in West Africa
Owing to poor gradation and high liquid limit and plasticity index,the application of gravel laterite on road paving is limited in West Africa.To overcome this issue,laterite granule combined with sand at different content was explored.The performance including the particle composition,limit water content and CBR value was investigated.The results indicate that sand treatment can improve the gradation,enhance the compactness,and reduce the plasticity index.The improved gravel laterite can meet the requirements of subbase,cushion,and base courses.Cement treatment can improve the mechanical properties of laterite grains.Cement and sand content affect the unconfined compressive strength significantly,with an optimal sand content range identified.Specifically,laterite granules mixed with sand and stabilized with 2.5%PK58 cement and 3.5%PK6 cement meet the specifications for cushion layer materials in inverted structures in West Africa.The overall findings contribute to localization design and the optimization of indigenous materials in West Africa,broadening their application scope and enhancing their use in construction projects,offering valuable insights for Chinese engineering projects in West Africa.