Weak soil can make road construction more difficult, so engineers often use cement to strengthen road-base material. In a 2021 laboratory study, Blaise Dabou, Christopher Kanali and Zachary Abiero-Gariy investigated whether ash from blue gum trees ( Eucalyptus globulus ) could replace part of the cement used to stabilize lateritic soil. The researchers reported a peak soaked California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of 348% for a mixture containing 4% cement and 2% blue-gum wood ash by weight of soil. The result exceeded the 160% road-base benchmark cited from Kenya’s Road Design Manual.
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