Effect of natural fibers on the soil compaction characteristics

Abstract

Clay soils are considered as a problematic soil in term of water absorption rate. The ideas of soil improvement method had been widely used to modify the physical and mechanical properties of clay soil. This study aims to identify the optimum percentage mixing of natural fibers in influencing the compaction characteristics. X – ray fluorescent test (X-RF) and Standard Proctor test has been performed to determine the chemical composition of natural fibers and compaction characteristics of soil samples. Natural fibers such as banana, kenaf, and coconut coir were used as a natural soil stabilizer with varying percentage mixing to increase the properties and stability of soil samples. Experimental data obtained from compaction test shows that the appropriate maximum dry density and optimum moisture content for each natural fiber are at 0.5% natural fibers mixing. In this study, the maximum dry density and optimum moisture content for untreated samples are 1650kg/m3 and 7.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, for treated soil samples that mixed with banana, coconut and kenaf fibers are 1760kg/m3 , 1780kg/m3 , 1670kg/m3 and 8.2%, 8%, 11%, respectively. Hence, 0.5% mixing with banana fibers indicated the best possible amount of dry density and moisture content among other natural fibers. Therefore, this study proved that natural fibers can act as a good natural soil stabilizer in increasing stability of clay soil.

Sustainable soil stabilization: the use of waste materials to improve the engineering properties of soft soils

“…Perera et al (2022) investigated that the maximum dry density of stabilized cohesive soil increases insignificantly with increasing crushed waste glass content (by a maximum of 5%), whereas the optimum water content decreases (by a maximum of 14%). Bawadi et al (2020) reported that the MDD and OWC parameters depend not only on the content of natural fiber but also on their type. The researchers determined the highest maximum dry density at 0.5% banana fiber content.…”

“…The lowest value of the MDD parameter was found at 1% kenaf fiber content and it was even lower than determined for untreated clayey soil. Bawadi et al (2020) investigated that the optimum water content increases with increasing fiber content for all types of natural fibers added to clayey soils, however, the most significant change in OWC was observed with the addition of kenaf fibers. The addition of sawdust reduces the maximum dry density by 10% and increases the optimum water content by 10% at a sawdust content of 7% (Niyomukiza et al, 2020).…”

“…Bawadi et al (2020) studied the influence of natural fibers on the properties of clayey soils. The researchers tested three types of natural fibers: banana, coconut and kenaf.…”

Experimental Study on Soil Stabilization Using Fibres

“…The result of these tested samples is to be used in sample preparation for the California bearing ratio tests. The results were tabulated in Table 4.The maximum dry density of the samples of the soil increases with the addition of fibres and the optimum moisture content varies between 12% and 10% [14].The gradual decrease in Optimum moisture content indicates that the adsorption of water by the fine-grained soil is reduced. The results were plotted in Fig 2 . .…”

“…Synthetic fibres are light grey. Table2shows the properties of natural and synthetic fibres from Mahuyu Ghosh et.al.,(2014)[14] Properties of fibres(after Mahuya Ghosh 2009)…”