A Systematic Study to Strengthen the Sub Grade of the Pavement by Stabilization of Expansive Soil with Molasses and Jute Fibre

Abstract

Abstract: Expansive soils, commonly referred to as Black cotton soils (BC), possess undesirable engineering properties such as low bearing capacity and high compressibility. To address these challenges, various stabilizers have been used to enhance the strength of expansive soil, including jute fiber and molasses. This thesis focuses on investigating the effects of incorporating jute fiber as a stabilizer and molasses as an additive to improve the properties of expansive soil. The objectives of this study are to enhance the shear strength of expansive soil by blending jute fiber and molasses mixtures. Jute fibers of different lengths (1cm, 2cm, 3cm, and 4cm) and various percentages (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%) are used as stabilizers. Molasses is employed as an additional stabilizer with varying percentages (5%, 8%, 12%, and 15%). Laboratory investigations reveal that the addition of 12% molasses and 1.5% jute fiber significantly reduces the liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of the expansive soil, while simultaneously increasing the maximum dry density and California Bearing Ratio (CBR). Furthermore, cyclic load test results demonstrate a 62% improvement in the load carrying capacity of the treated expansive soil subgrade flexible pavement compared to untreated expansive soil flexible pavement. Utilizing construction wastes like molasses offers an alternative to reduce road construction costs, especially in rural areas of developing countries. Additionally, jute fiber provides effective reinforcement for expansive soils. These findings highlight the potential of jute fiber and molasses as sustainable and cost-effective stabilizers for enhancing the performance of expansive soils in construction projects