TITLE:
Improving the Engineering Properties of Black Cotton Soil Using Gum Arabic: A Comparative Study with Granite Powder
AUTHORS:
Omer Abdelaziz, Lianglong Song, Aliyu Wali Bunu, Gwaram Abdullah Adamu, Shamima Akter Shimky
KEYWORDS:
Black Cotton Soil, Gum Arabic, Soil Stabilization, Granite Powder, Expansive Soil, Atterberg Limits, CBR, Swelling Behavior, Mechanical Properties, Compaction Characteristics
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Civil Engineering,
Vol.15 No.4,
October
24,
2025
ABSTRACT: This study evaluates gum arabic as a sustainable, biodegradable alternative to traditional stabilizers for Black Cotton Soil. We conducted standard laboratory tests—including Atterberg limits, shrinkage, swelling, compaction, and California Bearing Ratio (CBR)—on soil treated with gum arabic and compared the results to a previous study using granite powder. Our findings show that gum arabic consistently and significantly improved all tested engineering properties. It dramatically reduced both shrinkage and swelling, enhanced compaction, and caused a remarkable increase in the soil’s CBR. The comparative analysis demonstrated that gum arabic outperformed granite powder in all tests. We conclude that gum arabic is a superior, sustainable stabilizer for improving the engineering properties of expansive clay soils.