Frost heave of a Montana silt treated with reduced cement contents

A highly frost-susceptible soil was obtained from the Montana Department of Transportation and subjected to a regimen of tests at the Brigham Young University (BYU) Highway Materials Laboratory. The purpose of this testing was to evaluate the efficacy of Portland cement treatment for reducing the frost susceptibility of a Montana silt. The research results indicate that a threshold cement content exists that provides adequate stabilization against frost heave. The use of a cement content greater than this value only marginally improves the heaving characteristics of the soil, while the addition of an amount less than this value will cause the treated soil to be more frost-susceptible than the untreated soil.