Qualitative Availability of Lateritic Soils for Road Construction in Togo: Influence of Petrography and Climatic Environment on Geotechnical Characteristics

Ayodele Assouma?la Offaleke Atafe, Essoavana Ouro-Djobo Samah, Komlan Assogba Kassegne

Abstract: Lateritic soils are widely present on the earth's surface in tropical climates. Their great physical availability has made them exploitable materials and used in pavement foundations. In Togo, their physical availability does not rhyme with the geotechnical qualities required to be used alone in the constitution of the layers of pavement. Only 1.1% of lateritic quarries have qualities to be used as a base layer. Their modest performance has little to do with the petrographic nature of the soil, but sensitive to the climatic environment in which the quarry emerges. These soils nevertheless have a good ability to be improved with cement. This performance makes it possible to enhance their lift to be competitive in the base layer of pavements.

Keywords: Laterite, road, petrography, climatic, geotechnical