Abstract: Fly ashes are frequently used as one of the admixtures for the lime columns in ground improvement projects. The disadvantages the utilization of the fly ashes are the relatively low strength and the existence of soft zones within the lime columns. Further, the environmental requirements for the dust control in airs can hardly be met during the transportation and the storage of the fly ashes at the site. To minimize these shortcomings of using fly ashes, the low strength grade cement was successively utilized as the admixtures in the lime columns. The laboratory free water absorption and other tests were conducted on lime-cement-soil mixtures with various cement ratios. The test results indicate that the low strength grade cement is an ideal admixture in the lime columns applied in ground improvement projects.

Key words: lime columns, mixture ratio tests, swelling properties, unconfined compressive strength