In this study, a commercially available enzyme which is used popularly to improve sub-grade material for pavements was used as a potential stabilizer to improve soil properties used for earthen construction. As a preliminary study, the interaction of this enzyme with the soil was assessed by evaluating the plasticity and strength characteristics of enzyme treated soil with ageing. From the research findings, it was observed that with ageing, the liquid limit of soil decreased, while plastic and shrinkage limits increased, leading to reduced plasticity and shrinkage indices. The reduced plasticity and shrinkage indices indicate that soil has become relatively more volumetrically stable and less susceptible to crack formation. Further, strength characteristics under two different curing conditions were evaluated, and it was found that under sealed curing conditions, the treated soil had better compressive strength. The improvement of plasticity, shrinkage and strength characteristics due to the addition of enzymes can be advantageously used for development of lightly stabilized durable earthen construction material, and thus, eliminating the necessity of using conventional energy-intensive stabilizers. The findings from this study bring the immense potential of eco-friendly enzymatic stabilization in the development of modern sustainable earthen materials.

中文翻译：

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酶对土建材料可塑性和强度特性的影响

在这项研究中，广泛用于改善路面下层材料的市售酶被用作潜在的稳定剂，以改善用于土工施工的土壤特性。作为一项初步研究，通过评估经酶处理的土壤随老化的可塑性和强度特性，评估了该酶与土壤的相互作用。从研究结果可以看出，随着年龄的增长，土壤的液体极限降低，而塑性和收缩极限增加，从而导致可塑性和收缩指数降低。降低的可塑性和收缩指数表明，土壤在体积上变得相对稳定，不易形成裂纹。此外，评估了两种不同固化条件下的强度特性，并且发现在密封养护条件下，处理后的土壤具有更好的抗压强度。由于添加酶而导致的可塑性，收缩性和强度特性的改善可有利地用于开发轻度稳定的耐久土工建筑材料，因此消除了使用常规的高能量稳定剂的必要性。这项研究的发现为现代可持续土质材料的开发带来了生态友好型酶促稳定的巨大潜力。消除了使用常规高能耗稳定剂的必要性。这项研究的发现为现代可持续土质材料的开发带来了生态友好型酶促稳定的巨大潜力。消除了使用常规高能耗稳定剂的必要性。这项研究的发现为现代可持续土质材料的开发带来了生态友好型酶稳定作用的巨大潜力。