Polypropylene Fibre: A Solution for Problematic Expansive Soil

High compressibility and low shear strength of expansive soil stimulate the substantial distress and excessive settlement of overlying structures and pavements; and requires proper soil stabilisation before commencing any construction on it. Advancement in this direction provides variety of soil improvement solutions like soil replacement, dynamic compaction, lime/cement columns, stone columns and usage of fibrous materials for soil reinforcement. The present study demonstrates the efficacy of polypropylene fibres (PPF) as an additive to stabilise the expansive soil. Statically compacted virgin and PPF (6mm and 12mm) admixed (0.05%-0.25% having constant leap of 0.05%) soil specimens have been prepared for the experimentation. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and One-dimensional consolidation tests have been performed to assess the strength and compressibility characteristics of the virgin and remolded soil specimens of expansive soil. Experimental results manifest not only an increasing trend for UCS with the percentage increase of both sized fibres separately but also for strain at failure. Ultimately, improve the tensile behaviour of the subjected soil. A noticeable decrease in compression index and degree of consolidation both was also found after incorporating the fibres in the soil specimens. So, the present study route the fibres for a potential application in various geotechnical fields.