Effect of chlorine salt on the physical and mechanical properties of inshore saline soil treated with lime

Salt in saline soil has adverse effects on the stability of treated soil. In this study, the grain size, the Atterberg limits, the compaction, the strength, and the microstructure were measured successively to analyze the effects of the chlorine salt content on lime-treated saline soil. Chlorine salt had obvious effects on the structure of the lime-treated soil; it increased the quantity of coarse soil particles and decreased the total surface area of the soil. An approximately linear relationship was found between the salt content and the microstructure׳s parameters, such as the bone area, the aspect ratio, roundness, etc., while the salt content reduced the degree of homogenization of the treated soil. Additionally, the liquid limit, the plastic limit, and the plasticity index decreased with an increasing salt content. The salt content had little effect on the maximum dry density or the optimum water content, and its effect on in situ compaction was negligible. Importantly, the chlorine salt did not react with the lime, and adsorbed only onto the soil surface or into the pores. Moreover, the chlorine salt induced engineering problems in the lime-treated soil, which affected its stability, especially when the salt content was more than 3.0%. Thus, waterproofing measures should be applied to treated saline soil.