TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MOMBASA

Presented by
LIME AS SOIL STABILIZING AGENTS
INVESTIGATING THE EFFICACY OF COFFEE HUSK, SAWDUST AND

ONOKA J RICHARD
BTCE/222J/2019

BUILDING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING 1

 1. Abstract
Sawdust, coffee husk and lime can be used as a stabilising agent for certain application. this
combination is commonly used in construction and engineering for soil stabilization purposes.
• Sawdust: is a byproduct of wood processing.It can be used as a stabilizing agent due to its organic
nature and fibrous composition. Swadust can improve the stability os soils by increasing their
cohesion and reducing their susceptibility to erosion. It also helps in retaning moisture in the soil.
• Coffee husk: refers to as the out covering of coffee bean that is removed during processing. It is
often considered an agriculture waste product. Coffee husk can be used as an organic stabilising
agent due to its fibrous and granular nature. It can enhance the stability and compaction of soils
and improve their drainage characteristics.
• Lime: is a chemical compound commonly used in soil stabilisation. it reacts with water and carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere to form calcium carbonate (CaCO3) a process known as carbonation.
Lime is effective in stabilising soils with high clay content, improving their strength and reducing
their plasticity. It also increase the pH of acidic soils.

When combined, they can create a stabilizing agent that improves soil characteristics such as stability,
compaction, drainage and erosion resistance. The specific propotions and mixing methods may vary
depending on the application and soil conditions. its important to conduct laboratory tests to
determine the appropriate mixture ratios.
 2. Introduction
Soil stabilization is a crucial aspect of construction and engineering projects, particularly in
areas with problematic soil conditions. This project proposal aims to investigate the
effectiveness of coffee husk, sawdust, and lime as stabilizing agents for soil improvement. By
analyzing their individual and combined effects on soil properties, we aim to determine their
suitability forenhancing soil stsbility, compaction and drainage.
 3. Statement of the problem
Soil stabilization is a critical aspect in construction of civil engineering projects, aiming to enhance the engineering
properties of soil to meet specific requirements for infrastructure development. traditional soil stabilization methods
often involve the use of cement and several drawbacks, including high costs, environmental concerns and the
depletion of natural resources.
In light of these challenges, the proposed project seeks to explore and innovative and sustainable approach to soil
stabilization by utilizing coffee husk, sawdust and lime as a stabilizing agent. This research project aims to addresses
the following key problem areas associated with traditional soil stabilization methods:
• Environmental impact
• Cost-effectiveness
• Waste management
• Soil performance and stability
 4.JUSTIFICATION

Coffee husk can be successfully used in partial substitution of lime as a stabilizer

for soil since it can be related to sawdust ash which is obtained from coal, which
is fossilized wood. This implies that coffee husk ash could be used as a stabilizing
agent as well.
 5. Objectives
MAIN OBJECTIVES

1. Evaluate the individual characteristics of coffee husk and lime as stabilising agents.
2. Evaluate the individual characteristics of sawdust and lime as stabilizing agents.
3. Evaluate the combined characteristics of coffee husk, sawdust and lime as stabilizing agents using
Atterberg test.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. Evaluate the workability of soil for different proportions of coffee husk, sawdust and lime.

2. Assess the effects of the stabilizing agent on soil properties, such as stability, compaction,
permeability and erosion resistance.
 6. Research Questions
RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the direct shear strength of unsaturated soil containing portions of coffee husk,
sawdust and lime?
2. What is the unconfined compression strength of the sample soil?
 7. Scope
The scope of this study focuses on the stabilization of black cotton soil using coffee husk,
sawdust and lime as a stabilizing agent. The research will be conducted on geotechnical
laboratory. The study will involve data collection from road authorities, local communities,
and farmers in the target regions. The findings and recommendations of the research will
primarily be applicable to the Kenyan context but may also offer insights and lessons for
other countries facing similar challenges of stabilizing soil.
 8. Literature review
Soil stabilization is the process of altering some soil properties by different methods,
mechanical or chemical in order to produce an improved soil material which has all the desired
engineering properties such as improved strength and durability.
Dr.G.S.K Viswanath has conducted a research on coffee husk that focused on geotechnical
aspect on expansive soils. DR.R.G Robinson also did a research on use of organic materials such
as coffee husk to improve soil performance. In 2014 a student Maina. R Samuel at UON did a
research on investigating of effects of coffee husk on subgrade soils. In 2013 Anthony Onyango
from UON did a research on black cotton soil stabilization using coffee husk.
Also some people have done researchs on investigating sawdust as a stabilising agent for
example in 2016 Wajid Ali Butt, Karan Gupta and J.N Jha did a research in “strength behaviour
of clayey soil stabilized with sawdust ash” . Another one was in 2018 by Joseph Ejelikwu Edeh,
Isaac Olufemi and Audu Tyoyita.
Using their findings and their research i have decided to combine this two materials and use
them as stabilising agents and look at their perfomance as a compared to them being used
individually.
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 9.Expected outcomes

1. Evaluation of the individual and combined effects of coffee husk, sawdust and lime on
soil stabilization.
2. Quantification of improvements in soil stability, compaction, permeability and erosion
resistance.
3. Identification of optimal mixture ratios for the stabilizing agent to achieve desired soil
propeties.
4. Comparison of the performance of the stabizing agents to conventional techniques
such as CBR Tests.
 10. Methodology
This research will basically deal with methods used to achieve the objectives through data collection.
The following are to be conducted;
1. The index properties of the soil sample before stabilization
(i) Soil Moisture Content (%)
(ii) Atterberg limit test -Plastic index
-plastic limit
-liquid limit
(iii) specific gravity

2. The strength properties of the soil sample before stabilization

(i) Compaction
(ii) Soil pH
(iii) Soil Particle Size Distribution
(iv)California Bearing Ratio (CBR)
 11. Budget
•Budget
Transportation Ksh.2,000

Materials Ksh.4,000

Tests Ksh.6,000

Computer services Khs.2,000

 12. WORKPLAN

JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER DECEMBER

Propasal preparation

Proposal presentation
Data collection and
analysis
Project preparation
Project preparation
 13. Reference
• “Investigation into the use of lime stabilized clay as subgrade Material” by Olumide Moses (2013)
• “Sawdust as an effective sorbent for removal of toxic sustsnces: A review” by L.Wang et al (2018)
• “Shear strength improvement of clay soil stabilized by coffee husk” by RP Munirwan (2022)
• “Strength behaviour of clayey soil stabilized with sawdust ash” by WA Butt (2016)
• “Utilization of coffee husk for soil stabilization. A systematic review by Reza Munirwan, Aizat Mohd (2022)
• “Utilization of coffee husk and sawdust as stabilizing agents for soil improvement” by Smith J Johnson, A,
Brown (2020)
• “Utilization of lime and lime sludge in environmental application: A review” by S. Pandey et al (2016)