The Behavior of The Tunnel Reinforced by Additives in Soft Soil

Tunnels play a vital role in reducing traffic congestion and enhancing safety. However, constructing tunnels in soft clay soil poses a significant challenge due to low tensile strength and susceptibility to deformation. To overcome this issue, additives such as cement and rice husk ash can strengthen the soil and increase its load-bearing capacity. Traditionally, Portland cement has been used as a binding material in soft soil improvement projects. However, its high cost and carbon footprint have raised concerns about its financial and environmental impact. Therefore, researchers are exploring alternative and environmentally friendly binding materials that utilize industrial by-products as new "green" cementitious materials to address this issue. This study compares the effectiveness of cement and rice husk ash as additives in improving soft clay. Such materials can create a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution for soil improvement projects. Three ratios of rice husk ash (2%, 4%, 6%) were used and compared with a single cement ratio equivalent to (5%). These ratios were selected for comparison with the results of using rice husk ash, which showed that the ash used provided a good and environmentally suitable improvement ratio.