Improvement of mechanical behavior of cemented soil reinforced with waste sisal fibers: An optimal selection and modification research

Abstract

In response to escalating environmental concerns, this study explored the use of sisal fiber as a sustainable alternative to traditional cement or synthetic fibers for soft soil stabilization. An optimal selection test was conducted to determine the optimal sisal fiber characteristics and their impact on the mechanical performance of cemented soil. The findings indicated that incorporating sisal fibers into cemented soil inhibits crack propagation, thereby enhancing its strength and ductility. A significant improvement was achieved by incorporating optimal fiber parameters (content = 0.4 %, length = 11 mm) into the cemented-soil, the compressive strength reached 4.4 MPa (by 29.4 %). In addition, to further improve the work performance of sisal fiber-cemented soil (SFCS), alkaline and acetylation treatments were applied, respectively, to prevent volume instability and degradation of sisal fiber. The study also evaluated the effects of these modification methods on the physical properties of sisal fiber and the strength of sisal fiber-cemented soil (SFCS). The results showed that a 6 % NaOH treatment was determined to be the most effective modification method, reducing the moisture affinity of sisal fiber, improving fiber-matrix bonding, and consequently enhancing the mechanical properties of SFCS (by 18.7 %). However, it should be noted that an excessively high concentration may adversely affect fiber properties, negatively impacting the strength of SFCS (by up to 11.59 %).