Effect of Plantain Peel Ash on Gradation and Compaction Characteristics of Tropical Soil

This study investigated the gradation and compaction properties of lateritic soil treated with plantain peel ash (PPA). PPA was used to improve lateritic soil with up to 10% PPA by dry weight of soil. Tests carried out to include specific gravity, particle size distribution, consistency tests, and compaction (using British Standard light, BSL and West African Standard, WAS) compaction energies. XLSTART 2018 Software was used to develop regression models for the test conducted between the self-determining factors and the dependent factors. The results of the study show that the specific gravity of the soil significantly decreased from its natural value of 2.55 to 2.43 at 4% PPA and thereafter increased to 2.48 at 10 % PPA. The fines content reduced from 59.9 % at the 0 % PPA to 5% at 10% PPA respectively. MDD (BSL and WAS) reduced to 1.76 Mg/m, 1.84 Mg/m at 4%, 6 % PPA content and subsequently increased to 1.91 Mg/m, 2.0 Mg/m at 10 % PPA content respectively. OMC for BSL decreases to 11.8 % at 10 PPA content while WAS was decreased to 8.6 % at10 % PPA content. Regression models for MDD show that self-determining factors, primarily influence the MDD of treated soil. However, in the case of OMC model, Gs and CE with higher coefficients have much more effect on the OMC compared to other variables. Based on the obtained results Gs, CE and PPA significantly affect grading and compaction characteristics of PPA treated the soil. Keywords—Compaction Characteristics, Grading Properties, Lateritic soil, Plantain Peel Ash, Regression Models. ◆