Stabilization of Black Cotton Soil using Thermally Treated Untanned Leather Waste

Abstract

The black cotton soil is found in central and southern parts of India. This soil is good from the point of view of farmers because it has a good moisture holding capacity but from the engineering point of view, black cotton soil has a problematic nature due to its expansive and shrinkage nature with the addition/loss of moisture. Leather industries produce a lot of waste and most of the side products are waste. Untanned leather waste can be used to increase the strength, swelling properties due to the presence of lime present in it which can be used to stabilize the black cotton soil on the increasing addition of waste ranging from 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% by weight of soil and also by thermally treating the waste ash ranging from 200⁰C, 400⁰C, 600⁰C before addition into the black cotton soil.