1

2
Effect of Heat Treatment On
Strength Of Clay

 Presented By: Presented To:

 Sana Ul Mussawir Asif (13BNCIV0589) Project Evaluation Committee
 Sher Azam Khan (13BNCIV0597)
 Khizar Hayat (13BNCIV0585)

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology

Peshawar, Campus iii Bannu
3 Presentation Overview

 Introduction

 Problem Statement

 Methodology

 Experimental setup

 References
4 Introduction
 Thermal treatment is any treatment technique that involves high

temperatures in the processing of various thermal treatment process.

 These thermal treatment techniques include kiln treatment,

electrical furnaces etc.

 Thermally treated soils have been used since primitive times for

making trails for access and bricks for dwellings.

 In comparison with other soil improvement methods, thermal

stabilization produces immediate results.

5 Problem Statement

An increase in temperature affects clay properties (plasticity, water

content, permeability, swelling etc.). So during designing the

foundations for furnaces, rocket launching pads, buried power supply

cables, air-conditioning ducts, disposal of toxic waste etc., thermal

processes strongly effect the engineering behavior of clays. So our goal

was to investigate the changing behavior of soils under various

temperatures situation.
6 Methodology

Collection of soil

 Soil was collected from Bannu campus.

 To acquire natural soil, we took the soil from 3 ft. depth
7 Methodology

Determination of OMC

 Standard Procter test D-698 (ASTM,2007) and AASHTO T-99 (AASHTO,

1982) is conducted to determine the OMC of soil.

 Dry density is find by formula

ɣ
ɣd = 𝑤%
1+ 100
8 Methodology

105
104.565
104.5
dry unit weight Ɣ

104

103.5
103.14

103

102.5
102.179

102
14.5 15 15.5 16 16.5 17 17.5
Moisture content %

Graph 1: Dry unit weight verses moisture content

9 Methodology
 Sample Preparation

 Samples were prepared for unconfined compression test in such a

way that height to width ratio of sample remain in range of 2--2.5

 Special mold/sampler of 6” x 3” was prepared for making samples.

 Soil is to be compacted in three layers and number of blows were

found by using

E = (No. of blows/layer)x(No. of layers)x(Ht. of drop of hammer)x(W of hammer)

volume of mold
10

Figure: specially prepared mold

11 Methodology

Sample Treatment

 Samples were thermally treated in electrical furnace..

 Assembly of 3,3 samples were then treated at temperatures of 200o

C , 300o C , 400o C , 500o C , 600o C and 700o C respectively.

 Duration of thermal treatment was in the range of 18 to 24 hours.

12 Methodology

Sample Treatment

Figure: Electrical furnace

13 Methodology

Figure: Treated samples at various temperature

14 Experimental Setup
Unconfined compression test

 Unconfined compression test is common test method used to

indicate the unconfined compressive strength of clay specimens.

 In this test confining pressure ϭ3 is zero

 An axial load is rapidly applied to specimen to cause failure.

 At failure total minor principal stress is already zero and total major
principal stress is ϭ1.
15 Experimental Setup

Figure: Test for crushing strength

16 Result
S. No. Temp (OC) Samples Strength (KN/m2) Average
(KN/m2)
1 2 3

1 100 117.72 123.45 116.32 119.93

2 200 152.76 159.99 176.99 160.14

3 300 1352.45 1140.67 16880.60 1593.58

4 400 1880.42 2550.54 1920.89 2118.92

5 500 5000.52 4948.34 4853.98 4981.77

6 600 5976.03 5878.90 6000.78 5838.87

7 700 6900.80 7000.87 6689.95 6812.09

17 Result
8000

7000

6000
STRENGTH (KN/M2)

5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
TEMPERATURE (OC)

Graph: Strength verses Temperature curve

18 Conclusion
Strength of soil increases when thermally treated at high temperature

 There is at least linear relation between strength and temperature; i.e. Strength increases with
temperature up to 700oC.But this trend fails when temperature is increased behind vitrification
temperature.

 At relatively low temperatures i.e between 100 to 200 there is no apparent increase in strength
due to appearance of hair like thermal crakes.

 Similarly there is high strength gain between temp. range of (400-500) with significant change
of soil color to reddish brown commonly like that of “bricks”.And then graph become liner
upward.
19 Recommendations

 Modified hammer should be used for soil compaction if dimensions of mould are
changed.

 During strength tests load on samples should be applied slowly with low rate to obtain
better results.

 Surfaces of samples should be with same upper and lower surfaces in single plane
exactly.

 To get better results, advance and maintained equipment should be used.

20 Recommendations

 The work is limited to strength behavior of soil exposed to high temperatures. All other
soil properties like liquid limit, plastic limit, void ratio change etc. may be checked by
taking this work as a base.

 The mineralogical changes in soil are not explained therefore X-RAY Diffraction should
be conducted to test mineralogical changes.

 This attempt was made to study the relationship between compressive strength and
treatment temperature. Mercury intrusion test should be used to determine the changes in
pore size and pore size distribution.
21 Recommendations

 Weight loss with temperature as well as the temperatures at which the different
types of water are removed Thermogravimetric Analysis should be taken out for
loss water measurement
22 References
1) “Geotechnical and mineralogical diagnostics of soil of residential settlements in
Bannu” by Zia ur Rehman and etal.

2) “Effect of heat treatment on strength of clay” by R.C Joshi and etal.

journal of geotechnical engineering 1994

3) “Effect of temperature on properties of kaolinite and bentonite” by Gulgun

Yalmiz, scientific research and essay 2001

4) “Effect of high temperature thermal treatment on physical properties of clay”

Qaing sun & etal, Environ earth sci (2016) 75:610

5) “Temperature effect on compaction and strength behavior of clay” William H

Highter Joint Highway Research Project
23 References
7) Wasiullah and A.U Bhatti 2007. Physio chemical properties of soils of Kohat and
Bannu, NWFP, Pakistan. Jour.Chem.Soc.Pak. Vol 29, No.1-2007

8) Regina Obiageli Ajemba 2014. Structural alteration of bentonite from nkaliki by

acid treatment: studies of the kinetics and properties of the modified samples.
International Journal of Advances in Engineering & Technology, Mar. 2014.

9) Leonard F. DeBano 2002. The effect of fire on soil properties.

10) Mitchell J.K 1969. “Effect of temperature on some engineering behaviors of Soil”.
Hwy. Res. Board, Spec. Rep. 103, national Academy of science

11) Laguros J. G (1969 “Effect of temperature on some engineering properties of clayey

soils”. ”.Hwy. Res. Board, Spec. Rep. 103, national Academy of science, Washington
D.C, 9-28
24

Thank you

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