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Improving the Engineering Properties of Black Cotton Soil Using Gum Arabic: A Comparative Study with Granite Powder
College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
School of Civil Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an, China
College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
- 1 College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
- 2 College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
- 3 College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
- 4 School of Civil Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an, China
- 5 College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
Open Journal of Civil Engineering·Volume 15 (2025)·Pages 633–650·Published 30 September 2025·DOI10.4236/ojce.2025.154034
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Abstract
This study evaluates gum arabic as a sustainable, biodegradable alternative to traditional stabilizers for Black Cotton Soil. We conducted standard laboratory tests—including Atterberg limits, shrinkage, swelling, compaction, and California Bearing Ratio (CBR)—on soil treated with gum arabic and compared the results to a previous study using granite powder. Our findings show that gum arabic consistently and significantly improved all tested engineering properties. It dramatically reduced both shrinkage and swelling, enhanced compaction, and caused a remarkable increase in the soil’s CBR. The comparative analysis demonstrated that gum arabic outperformed granite powder in all tests. We conclude that gum arabic is a superior, sustainable stabilizer for improving the engineering properties of expansive clay soils.
KeywordsBlack Cotton SoilGum ArabicSoil StabilizationGranite PowderExpansive SoilAtterberg LimitsCBRSwelling BehaviorMechanical PropertiesCompaction Characteristics
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