Lime piles have been successfully used in practice in several countries worldwide but their
mechanism of operation has not been adequately explained. The literature on the subject
has been briefly reviewed and a list of suggested stabilizing processes has been compiled.
Programs of experimental work to investigate each process are described and the results
are presented. Lime piles, which usually consist of columns of quicklime placed in pre-
formed holes in clay soils, draw in water during hydration and expand. No lateral …

Lime treatment as a mix-in-place technique has been widely and successfully used around
the world to improve weak soils. Novel techniques using lime are now being developed.
One such technique is the use of lime piles to stabilize shallow slopes. Recent research has
investigated the reaction mechanisms associated with lime pile stabilization. This paper
describes excavation work undertaken at two sites where previously lime piles had been
installed to prevent further movement of a failing slope. Laboratory tests undertaken on the …