Soil treatment with lime – European experiences for soil improvement and soil stabilisation

This guide presents the state of the art for soil treatment with lime in Europe. It provides an overview of lime and its properties, how lime is produced, the broad range of lime applications, the sustainability aspects of soil-lime treatment and the benefits of lime-soil treatment in civil engineering applications.

The fundamental theoretical principles of soil classification and the action of lime on soils are described. The keys to a successful treatment (laboratory studies and practical aspects related to execution and control) are detailed in two chapters. Practical examples and techniques are illustrated by case studies. For clarity, the common laboratory tests used for soil classification or preliminary study are described in the appendix to this document. This guide aligns with the new standards published by CEN/TC 396 (EN 16907-2 ‘Soil classification’ and EN 16907-4 ‘Soil treatment with lime and/or hydraulic binders’).