Strength Tests and Model Experiments on Soil Reinforced with Areca and PVA Fibers

Abstract

Uncertainties in geotechnical engineering are unavoidable. The soil properties may distribute within a significant range over a domain. The soil is often very weak in tension and has less stability under heavy loading. This paper presents stabilization of soil with bottom ash reinforcement of soil with natural or synthetic fibers. Several reinforcing materials are available in the market, but they are costly and not easily accessible. Bottom ash (BA) was used as a stabilizing agent, and areca fiber was used for reinforcement, in this study. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which is a synthetic fiber, was also used to compare the performance of areca fiber. As compared to fly ash, the use of bottom ash is minimal all over the world. This study determines the strength of the soil stabilized with bottom ash and fibers at different proportions. The percentage of bottom ash was varied from 0 to 40%; fiber proportion was varied from 0 to 2%. © 2020, Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.