When the NBCC and Ontario Provincial Standards (OPSS 1010) set the bar for road subgrade performance, soil stabilization for roads in Chatham-Kent becomes a non-negotiable step. This region sits on glaciolacustrine clays—highly plastic, moisture-sensitive soils that swell when wet and crack when dry. Without proper treatment, any new road or subdivision access will suffer differential heave within two seasons. We approach each project by first classifying the native soil through a full granulometría analysis and Atterberg limits, then prescribe the correct binder—lime for high-plasticity clays or cement for sandy silts—to achieve a soaked CBR above 8%. That baseline ensures the pavement design life matches the municipality's expectations.
Treating Chatham-Kent's glaciolacustrine clays with 4% lime typically drops the plastic index from 38 to 12 and doubles the soaked CBR.