Ms Solmaz Darsanj, Dr. Mehrdad Emami Tbrizi, Dr. Hassan Afshin,
Volume 19, Issue 4 (12-2025)
Abstract
Aeolian sands in arid and semi-arid regions are considered problematic due to their loose structure, low bearing capacity and difficulty in compacting them. Iran's dry climate and phenomena such as the desiccation of Lake Urmia have exacerbated the dispersion of saline sands. One common approach to mitigating these issues is chemical stabilization using additives such as cement. This study investigates the effect of stabilizing saline aeolian sands collected from the Lake Urmia basin using Type I Portland cement. Stabilized soil specimens with varying levels of salinity and cement content were prepared and subjected to unconfined compressive strength testing after a 7-day curing period. The results showed that increasing the cement content significantly improves compressive strength. Furthermore, the presence of salt in the soil samples did not hinder the stabilization process, but instead contributed to improved strength in the short term. These findings highlight the importance of considering the type and concentration of salts when designing stabilization treatments for saline granular soils in arid and semi-arid climates.
