Salinity Effects on the Physicochemical and Mechanical Behavior of Untreated and Lime-Treated Saline Soils

Improving saline soils’ properties by incorporating limes is a practical technique, generally due to cation exchange, pozzolanic reaction, and carbonation. This study explores how soil salinity, measured by electrical conductivity, affects untreated and lime-treated saline soils. An Algerian sebkha soil (from Ain M’lila) with an original high salinity (ECe3 = 23.2 dS m−1) was used. The same soil was washed to create medium (ECe2 = 8.3 dS.m−1) and low (ECe1 = 2.32 dS.m−1) salinity soil samples. The results of this study indicate that salinity influenced the shape of the particle size distribution curve, particularly in the silt range. Salinity also had a significant effect on carbonate content (CaCO3) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS). For the untreated soil, when salinity decreased, the UCS and CaCO3 content increased. However, when salinity decreased for the treated soil, the UCS increased, while the CaCO3 content decreased. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of untreated soils showed halite (NaCl) disappearance and gypsum (CaSO4 2H2O) reduction with decreasing salinity in ECe1. In treated soil at ECe3, these mineral phases remained constant. While XRD detected no new cementitious phases in treated ECe3 or ECe1 samples, thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the presence of portlandite in both. As Ain M’lila sebkha is a chloride–sulfate soil, the dissolution of the halite and gypsum phases released more Cl− and SO42− ions into the interstitial solution. In a low fraction of clay, these ions obstructed and slowed the pozzolanic reaction in the ECe3 soil. Identifying the season when this type of soil has lower salinity can be beneficial for treatment from a technical, economic, and environmental point of view.