Received 13.01.2026
Revised 03.02.2026
Accepted 26.03.2026
Published 07.04.2026
Retrieved from Iss. 119, 2026
Pages 184 -198
Abstract
The article considers the possibility of using fly ash from thermal power plants (TPPs) for soil stabilization in road construction. The relevance of the study is driven by the deficit of suitable natural soils and the necessity of using industrial waste for sustainable development. Modern scientific research on the influence of fly ash in combination with various activators on the physico-mechanical properties of soils is analyzed and summarized. It is shown that the introduction of fly ash promotes the formation of cementation bonds in the soil structure, leading to a decrease in plasticity and an increase in strength indicators. The efficiency of soil stabilization depends on the ash content, its properties, and curing conditions. Based on the analysis of scientific sources, the program and methodology of experimental research are substantiated, the list of controlled properties is determined, and the variations of ash and cement content in the mixtures are specified. Through laboratory experiments, the patterns of changes in the properties of stabilized soils depending on the ash content were revealed. Particular attention is paid to the study of the complex binder "fly ash – cement". It is proved that the rational combination of these components significantly increases the frost resistance and crack resistance of soil bases. The paper details the research methodology and presents and analyzes the results of experimental testing. The use of ash is a promising direction for improving the engineering properties of soil structures, contributing to the reduction of valuable natural resource use by replacing them with industrial waste. The results obtained testify to the efficiency of soil stabilization with fly ash and the feasibility of further research aimed at improving the efficiency of road construction and implementing the principles of sustainable development
Keywords:
fly ash, soil stabilization, construction, road construction, physico-mechanical properties of soils, soil strengthening, bearing capacity, soil compactability, subgrade, road pavement, transport infrastructure, secondary materials, sustainable development, waste recycling1. Ignatova O., Sebelev I., Dyatchina A. Use of Heat Power Plants' Ash in Road Construction. XIII International Scientific Conference Architecture and Construction 2020. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 2020. Vol. 953. 8 p.
2. Derevianko, V. M., Mospan, V. I., Kolokhov, V. V., Dziuban, O. V. and Maltsev, S. V. (2022) Main directions of research on the use of TPP fly ash in the production of building materials, Ukrainskyi zhurnal budivnytstva ta arkhitektury, (1), pp. 38–44. [In Ukrainian].
3. Eskioglou P., Oikonomou N. Protection of environment by the use fly ash in road construction. Global NEST Journal. 2008. Vol. 10, No. 1. P. 108–113.
4. Arora S., Aydilek A. H. Class F fly ash amended soils as highway base materials. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering. 2005. Vol. 17, No. 6. P. 640–649.
5. Trzebiatowski B. D., Edil T. B., Benson C. H. Case study of subgrade stabilization using fly ash: State Highway 32, Port Washington, Wisconsin. Recycled Materials in Geotechnics. 2004. P. 123–136.
6. Mahvash S., López-Querol S., Bahadori-Jahromi A. Effect of class F fly ash on fine sand compaction through soil stabilization. Heliyon. 2017. 27 p.
7. Amadi A., Osu A. Effect of curing time on strength development in black cotton soil–quarry fines composite stabilized with cement kiln dust. Journal of King Saud University – Engineering Sciences. 2018. Vol. 30, No. 4. P. 305–312.
8. Mishra B., Gupta M. K. Use of randomly oriented polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber in combination with fly ash in subgrade of flexible pavement. Construction and Building Materials. 2018. Vol. 190. P. 95–107.
9. Phummiphan I. et al. Stabilisation of marginal lateritic soil using high calcium fly ash-based geopolymer. Road Materials and Pavement Design. 2016. Vol. 17, No. 4. P. 877–891.
10. Karami H. et al. Use of secondary additives in fly ash based soil stabilization for soft subgrades. Transportation Geotechnics. 2021. Vol. 29. 20 p.
11. Sarkar R., Devi D., Kumar T. S. Experimental studies on fiber reinforced soil stabilized with lime and fly ash. International Journal of Integrated Engineering. 2024. Vol. 16, No. 5. 13 p.
12. Sokolov, O. V. (2024) Improvement of the technology for producing asphalt concrete mixtures with fly ash for the construction of pavement layers. PhD Thesis (Specialty 192 Building and Civil Engineering). Kyiv: National Transport University. [In Ukrainian].
13. Kumar T. A., Thyagaraj T., Robinson R. G. Swell–shrink behaviour of fly ash-stabilised expansive soils. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Ground Improvement. 2022. P. 160–171.
14. Prabakar J., Dendorkar N., Morchhale R. K. Influence of fly ash on strength behavior of typical soils. Construction and Building Materials. 2004. Vol. 18, No. 4. P. 263–267.
15. Alawi A. et al. Enhancement of the existing soil strength using the waste materials as a stabilization resource for sustainable development. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2023. 6 p.
16. Simatupang M. et al. The mechanical properties of fly-ash-stabilized sands. Geosciences. 2020. Vol. 10. P. 132.
17. Khan F., Das B., Dewanga N. Determination of geotechnical properties and stability of expansive soil using fly ash. Walailak Journal of Science and Technology. 2021. 18 p.
18. Noaman M. F., Khan M. A., Kausar A., Hassan A. A review on the effect of fly ash on the geotechnical properties and stability of soil. Cleaner Materials. 2022. Vol. 6. Article 100151. 14 p.
19. Bitar M. A., Ghida I. A., Jaber L. Using fly ash-plastic mesh bags wastes mixture as a recoverable resource for soil stabilization. International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering. 2024. Vol. 18, No. 3. 16 p.
20. Deng C., Jiang Y., Tian T., Yi Y. Laboratory mechanical properties and frost resistance of vibration-compacted cement–fly ash slurry and cement–fly ash-treated macadam mixtures. Construction and Building Materials. 2023. Vol. 397. 12 p.