Abstract
The basic objective of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of"bitumen"as a soil stabilizing agent. For this purpose, four different soils from Northern Jordan, which exhibit certain engineering problems, such as swelling and collapsibility, were selected. Two of these soils are swelling soils (Irbid and Ramtha), while the other two are collapsible (JUST and Mafraq). To conduct this work, soil-bitumen mixtures were prepared at 3%, 5%, 7% and 10% bitumen by dry weight of soil. Both natural and bitumen treated soils were subjected to similar laboratory tests to observe the influence bitumen on swelling and collapse potential. The test results showed that bitumen is effective in stabilizing the tested soils. Upon mixing with soils, bituminous materials act as a binding agent between soil particles. Additionally, test results showed that cutback bitumen percentages in excess of 7% do not show a substantial reduction in swelling and collapsibility potentials.
