TROPICAL COMPACTED RESIDUAL SOILS ERODIBILITY: A CASE STUDY ON THE WEST-EAST INTEGRATION RAILWAY (FIOL)

Abstract

This article assesses the erodibility of two compacted tropical residual soils collected from cut slopes of the West-East Integration Railway (FIOL). The evaluation is based on criteria from physical characterization, chemical and mineralogical tests, infiltrability, and modified immersion loss experiments using the MCT methodology under three moisture conditions: compacted at optimum moisture content, pre-infiltrated, and dried for 24 hours. Criteria based on consistency limits and particle size analysis proved unreliable in evaluating the erodibility of tropical residual soils. Chemical and mineralogical tests indicated that the samples were slightly weathered, displaying non-lateritic behavior and low erosion resistance. The hierarchy of erodibility potential revealed that non-lateritic soils, when compacted, exhibit less resistance to erosive processes under all moisture conditions. It was concluded that non-lateritic soils are affected by water erosion and are not suitable for application in railway pavement layers, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive analysis for different soil types, considering the same sampling conditions.