Lime and cement soil stabilization are standard practice on road subgrade, building pad, and large-scale earthwork projects where the native soil is too plastic, too wet, or too weak to meet compaction requirements. The documentation requirements are more extensive than standard earthwork compaction — because treatment involves multiple phases (application, mellowing, mixing, compaction) that must each be documented to prove the process was followed and the result meets specification.
What documentation is required for lime and cement soil treatment?
Lime and cement soil treatment documentation requires: pre-treatment soil testing (Atterberg limits, PI, moisture content); design mix report specifying lime/cement type and application rate; daily application rate records (weight applied per area per section); mellowing period records (start and end times per section); post-mellowing moisture verification; compaction test results at specified frequency; and unconfined compressive strength test results from cured samples. All records must be retained in the project QC file and submitted to the engineer of record or resident engineer for acceptance.
Before lime or cement treatment begins, the contractor must document the existing soil conditions that justify the treatment and establish the design basis:
| Test | Standard | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Atterberg limits | ASTM D4318 | Liquid limit, plastic limit, plasticity index — confirms soil is suitable for lime treatment |
| Moisture content | ASTM D2216 | Establishes pre-treatment moisture for mix design and application rate |
| Grain size distribution | ASTM D422 | Confirms clay content meets minimum for lime treatment to be effective |
| Lime series test | TxDOT Tex-121-E or equivalent | Determines the optimum lime content for plasticity index reduction |
| Eades-Grim pH test | ASTM C977 Annex | Confirms adequate lime content to achieve and maintain pH > 12.4 |
| Unconfined compressive strength | ASTM D5102 | Design UCS requirement — treated samples cured 7 days at 104°F |
Lime application records must document that the correct amount of lime was applied to each section of treated subgrade. Required daily application records:
Post-treatment compaction testing uses the same nuclear gauge or sand cone methods as standard earthwork compaction, but the Proctor test used for the maximum dry density reference must be performed on the treated soil at the design lime content — not the untreated soil. Using an untreated-soil Proctor to evaluate lime-treated compaction results in incorrect percent compaction values.
ASTM D698 or D1557 performed on soil-lime mixture at the design lime content. This treated-soil Proctor is the reference for field compaction test calculations.
Test frequency per contract — typically 1 per 1,000 sq yd per lift for DOT subgrade work. Record date, station, offset, lift number, dry density, moisture content, percent of treated-soil Proctor maximum, and pass/fail.
After compaction, shoot a grid of elevations to verify the treated subgrade surface is at the design elevation. Use the compaction-percent calculator with the treated-soil Proctor data.
Most DOT specifications require field-sampled UCS specimens from the in-place treated soil. Typically 3 specimens per 10,000 sq yd cured 7 days at 104°F per TxDOT or equivalent. Compare to design UCS requirement.
Cement stabilization follows the same general documentation structure as lime treatment, with several key differences:
Sitemark tracks lime and cement treatment records by section — application rates, mellowing periods, compaction tests, and UCS results — in a format ready for DOT engineer review.
Start Free Trial →Nuclear density gauges and GPS equipment for soil treatment QC documentation.
Shop at Express Tools →Required records include: pre-treatment soil testing (Atterberg limits, moisture content, plasticity index), design mix report with application rate, daily application rate records with delivery tickets, mellowing period records (start and end times per section), post-mellowing moisture verification, compaction test results at contract frequency, and unconfined compressive strength tests from field-sampled specimens cured 7 days.
Most DOT specifications require a minimum 24-hour mellowing period between initial lime mixing and final mixing and compaction. Highly plastic clays (PI > 30) may require 48–72 hours. The mellowing start and end times must be documented for each treated section.
No. Lime treatment changes the soil properties and the moisture-density relationship. A separate Proctor test performed on the soil-lime mixture at the design lime content is required. Using an untreated-soil Proctor to evaluate lime-treated compaction results produces incorrect percent compaction values.