Compressibility Studies on Cochin Marine Clay Stabilized with Fly Ash and Lime Columnar Inclusions

The study focuses on the use of lime, fly ash and combination of these materials as columnar inclusion for improving the strength and compressibility characteristics of soft Cochin marine clay. Large-scale consolidation tank was used to study compressibility characteristics. A group of five columns of different materials (lime, fly ash and a combination of both) were installed in the tank filled with marine clay in its natural moisture content. The consolidation test was continued till the settlement rate reached a value less than 1 mm/day for the different applied pressures. It was observed that clay alone took 91 days to reach target settlement, whereas the lime column took 29 days, fly ash column took 51 days and 1:1 lime–fly ash column took 39 days. The shear strength of the clay increased with the installation of the columns of different materials.