Improving Geotechnical Properties of a Soil Using Ceramic Waste Powder: A Sustainable Stabilization Approach

Authors

  • Sara Saud Sulaiman Al Jabri

    Department of Civil Engineering, Middle East College, Muscat 124, Oman
  • Kiran Kumar Poloju

    Department of Civil Engineering, Middle East College, Muscat 124, Oman

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jbms.v8i2.13351
Received: 30 March 2026 | Revised: 4 May 2026 | Accepted: 25 June 2026 | Published Online: 30 June 2026

Abstract

The effect of ceramic waste powder (CWP), which is a byproduct of construction and demolition waste (CDW) on a local Wadi obtained sandy silty soil as a soil stabilizer is investigated. Laboratory tests were run at the 25% CWP by dry weight of soil, including Standard Proctor compaction (ASTM D698), sieve analysis (ASTM D6913), direct shear (ASTM D3080) and permeability tests. The results demonstrated that 10.3% increase in maximum dry density (1.65 to 1.82 g/cc), 21.6% reduction in optimum moisture content (14.8% to 11.6%), 55% improvement in shear strength (52 to 81 kPa), 61% increase in cohesion (18 to 29 kPa), 30% increase in internal angle of friction (26° to 34°) and 66% reduction in permeability (2.8 × 10⁻3 to 9.5 × 10⁻⁴ cm/s). The improvements are thought to be due to the filler densification, interlocking of particles, and the possible pozzolanic reaction. One-way ANOVA (p < 0.05) showed all improvements were statistically significant. CWP contributes to waste diversion from landfill, lower embodied carbon compared to cement and can contribute to the circular economy and sustainability targets set forth in Oman Vision 2040.

Keywords:

Geotechnical Engineering; Soil Stabilization; Ceramic Waste Powder; Pozzolanic Activity; Circular Economy; Waste Valorization; Oman

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How to Cite

Al Jabri, S. S. S., & Poloju, K. K. (2026). Improving Geotechnical Properties of a Soil Using Ceramic Waste Powder: A Sustainable Stabilization Approach. Journal of Building Material Science, 8(2), 130–147. https://doi.org/10.30564/jbms.v8i2.13351

Issue

Vol. 8, Iss. 2 (June 2026)

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Article

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Copyright © 2026 Sara Saud Sulaiman Al Jabri, Kiran Kumar Poloju

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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