| Abstrakt: |
There is increase in demand for safe, durable and economical roads, especially in the rural areas. The high cost of stabilizing agent, environmental effects of dumping of agricultural waste such as palm kernel shell and implications involved in the process of transporting materials from borrow pit pose serious threats to human and the environment. Therefore, there is need to look for affordable alternatives. The lateritic soil used in this study was taken from the sedimentary formation located at Abalabi 53' 13.758"N, 7' 59.994"E), Ajegunle, along Papalanto-Ilaro road, Ogun State, Nigeria and palm kernel shell wastes were taken from oil palm producing plant at Iweke along Ilaro-Owode Road, Ilaro, Ogun State, Nigeria. The palm kernel shells were broken into pieces passing through 5mm sieve and then substituted for lateritic soil in the range of 0% to 50% at 5% intervals with 0% palm kernel shell substitution serving as control experiment. In line with BS 1377 (1990), pressure loads were applied on the composite materials and California Bearing-Ratio tests conducted at different test water contents for all the substitutions. From the results, California Bearing-Ratio value increased gradually as palm kernel shell substitution increases while 25% palm kernel shell substitution has the maximum CBR value at both top and bottom. In addition, for the 40% to 50% palm kernel shell substitutions, maximum CBR values were observed from their initial test water content. The composite material with palm kernel shell at 25% can be used for road base and sub base. Finally, recycling of palm kernel shell wastes is an alternative solution of safe disposal of the agro waste called palm kernel shell. There environmental risk and hazard caused by palm kernel shell wastes could be greatly reduced if not completely eliminated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
