What is the primary effect of soil stabilization on construction projects?

Soil stabilization primarily focuses on enhancing the physical properties of the soil to improve its performance in construction projects. One of the key benefits of this process is the increase in shear strength, which directly contributes to the soil's load-bearing capacity.

When soil shear strength is increased, it allows the material to better support the loads imposed by structures such as buildings, roads, and bridges. By enhancing the soil's ability to resist deformation and failure under these loads, projects can be built with more stable foundations, leading to greater safety and durability.

Soil stabilization methods, which can include the addition of chemical agents, compaction, or other techniques, work to change the soil's structure at a microscopic level, resulting in improved load capacity without the need for significant alterations to the overall volume of soil being used. This aspect of stabilization is critical in engineering and construction, ensuring that infrastructure is reliable and sustainable over time.