INFLUENCE OF UNTREATED AND TREATED COIR PITH ON COMPACTION AND STRENGTH CHARACTERISTICS OF SOIL

Abstract

Scarcity of land has led to the improvement of ground by stabilisation so as to utilize the available land, which was once considered unsuitable for construction activities. Many studies have been carried out to improve the ground using natural and synthetic fibres. Industrial and agricultural wastes are used to stabilise the soil as they are easily available and cheap. This can reduce the pollution due to disposal of such wastes. In this study, coir pith is used to stabilise the soil. This paper studies the effect of untreated and untreated coir pith on the compaction and the shear strength characteristics of the soil mixed with coir pith in varying percentages of 0% to 3% with an increment of 0.5%. A slight reduction in the dry density was observed with increase in percentage of coir pith. Whereas the treated coir pith soil mix shows increase in dry density as the pith content increases. It was observed that the optimum moisture content increases with increase in percentage of coir pith till 2% and thereafter decreases. For treated pith-soil mix, OMC decreases at first and then increases. A considerable increase in shear strength was observed after the chemical treatment of coir pith.