Impact of freeze-thaw cycles on the dynamic CBR of unstabilized and enzyme-stabilized subgrade soil
2026 (English)In: Transportation Research Procedia: 12th BCRRA 26 / [ed] Suzana Svetličič, Elsevier, 2026, Vol. 99, p. 99-105Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
This study investigates the impact of freeze-thaw cycles on the dynamic California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of enzyme-stabilized and unstabilized subgrade soil. The research focuses on two enzyme-based stabilizers, Road Stabilizr and TerraZyme, applied to materials with varying plasticity indices. The results reveal that prior to conditioning, TerraZyme-stabilized samples exhibited an 11% increase in dynamic CBR, whereas Road Stabilizr-stabilized samples showed a slight decrease of 4% compared to unstabilized specimens. After subjecting the samples to freeze–thaw cycles, both enzyme-treated materials demonstrated substantially enhanced resistance to frost-induced degradation. Dynamic CBR increased by 38% for TerraZyme-stabilized samples and 39% for Road Stabilizr-stabilized samples relative to unstabilized controls. These results indicate that enzymatic stabilization strengthens interparticle bonding, reducing susceptibility to freeze–thaw weakening and promoting significant performance gains under cold-region conditions. The findings highlight the potential of enzyme treatments to improve the durability of soils in frost-prone infrastructure applications.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2026. Vol. 99, p. 99-105
Series
Transportation Research Procedia, ISSN 2352-1465
Keywords [en]
Bearing capacity, Dynamic CBR, Enzyme stabilization, Freeze-thaw cycles, Soil improvement
National Category
Infrastructure Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:vti:diva-22843DOI: 10.1016/j.trpro.2026.07.033OAI: oai:DiVA.org:vti-22843DiVA, id: diva2:2095275
Conference
12th International Conference on Bearing Capacity of Roads, Railways, and Airfields (12th BCRRA 26), Ljubljana, Slovenia, June 22-24, 2026
Funder
Vinnova
Note
Research funding also provided by Holmen and Infrasweden.
2026-08-252026-08-252026-09-03Bibliographically approved