This paper focuses on the study of the influence of the parameters curing type and water submersion on the mechanical strength of RBI Grade 81 mixtures of three typical soils from the Zona da Mata Norte de Minas Gerais, Brazil, for forest roads applications. A mature (soil 1) and two young (soils 2 and 3) gneiss residual soils were used throughout the study. Description of the laboratory testing program is as follow: (i) RBI Grade 81 content: 2, 4 and 6% regarding soil dry mass; (ii) compaction effort: Modified Proctor; (iii) mechanical strength: non-confined compression strength; (iv) mixture specimens curing time: 7 days in acclimatized room; (v) mixture specimens curing conditions: specimen sealed in plastic bags, and specimen exposed to air in acclimatized room; (vi) non-confined compression strength tests: specimens tested dry and after 4 hours water immersion. The laboratory testing program data supported that: (i) curing conditions and water immersion affected significantly the mechanical strength of the tested mixtures; (ii) the sealed curing condition led to underestimate the field mixtures' mechanical strength; (iii) the mechanical strength of mixture specimens tested without previous immersion in water overestimated the field mixtures' mechanical strength.
Cure conditions; soil stabilization; RBI Grade 81; forest roads; unconfined compression strength
