Effect of Plastic Waste on Strength of Clayey Soil and Clay Mixed with Fly Ash

Abstract

Due to rapid industrialization and development in urban areas, every year, huge quantity of plastic wastes are being generated throughout the world. Disposal of these wastes in landfills creates serious environmental problems. The study on the utilization of plastic waste with clayey soil and with clay–fly ash mixture is limited. This paper presents the effect of plastic waste on the strength of clayey soil and clay–fly ash mixture, and the results are presented in terms of compressive strength, shear strength, and California bearing ratio (CBR). The different percentage of plastic waste (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% by dry weight) and 10% fly ash by dry weight were mixed into the clayey soil. From the experimental results, incorporation of the plastic waste into the clayey soil and clay fly ash mixture gives a decreasing trend of maximum dry density and increasing trend of optimum moisture content. The addition of 1% plastic waste in clayey soil and clay–fly ash mixture increases the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), internal friction angle and in the CBR value under soaked and unsoaked condition. The present study will help in consuming the considerable quantity of waste plastic, thereby reducing the environmental threat.