Abstract

Incessant road failure is a menace in the Niger Delta region and indeed in Nigeria as a whole. The region is prone to flooding due to the high intensity rainfall and the deltaic layout of rivers and creeks. The soils are known to be poor engineering materials especially for road construction. This study aimed to find a lasting solution to road failures in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria by identifying the inherent causative factors and using different locally available stabilising additives and binder to improve the quality of the soils. Pilot scale trial sections were constructed with the stabilising composites for field performance evaluations. The reduction in the excessive swelling of the soils and improvement in the load bearing capacity of the constructed sessions suggested that these additives and binder compositions can be adopted for use in the region for the improvement of the subgrade soils especially after heavy rains and in waterlogged areas. This research thus revealed that the problematic Niger Delta soils can be optimised for use in road construction.