Abstract
The combined capacity of Jute Fibers (JF), the reinforcement, and Ground-Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag (GBFS), the binder, was examined as a sustainable solution towards ameliorating the inferior engineering properties of micaceous clays. A total of sixteen JF + GBFS mix designs, i.e., JF (% by total mass) = {0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5} and GBFS (% by total mass) = {0, 3, 6, 9}, were tested for unconfined compression (UC) strength; for those mix designs containing GBFS, curing was allowed for 7 and 28 days prior to testing. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies were also carried out to observe the evolution of fabric in response to JF, GBFS and JF + GBFS amendments. The greater the JF content the higher the developed strength and stiffness up to 1% JF, beyond of which the effect of JF-reinforcement led to some adverse results. The JF inclusions, however, consistently improved the ductility and toughness of the composite. The addition of GBFS to the JF-reinforced samples improved the soil–fiber connection interface, and thus led to further improvements in the composite’s strength, stiffness and toughness. The mix design “1% JF + 9% GBFS” managed to satisfy ASTM’s strength criterion and hence was deemed as the optimum choice in this investigation. Finally, a non-linear, multivariable regression model was developed and validated to quantify the peak UC strength as a function of the composite’s index properties. The proposed model contained a limited number of fitting parameters, all of which can be calibrated by little experimental effort, and thus implemented for preliminary design assessments.
Highlights
Soils are the most common and readily accessible of all materials encountered in construction operations
The present study examines the combined capacity of Jute Fibers (JF), the reinforcement, and Ground-Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag (GBFS), the binder, as a sustainable solution towards ameliorating the inferior engineering characteristics of micaceous clays
Much like the natural soil reinforced with JF, for any given GBFS content and curing time, the peak unconfined compression (UC) strength increased with JF content up to Fc = 1%; beyond 1% JF, the effect of JF-reinforcement adversely influenced strength development in the composite
Summary
Soils are the most common and readily accessible of all materials encountered in construction operations. Common solutions to counteract the adversities associated with problematic soils, and most likely micaceous clays, include soil replacement or attempting to amend the low-graded soil by means of stabilization [22]. The former involves replacing a portion of the problematic host soil with suitable quarried/burrowed materials capable of satisfying the desired mechanical performance; this approach is often impractical due to long-haul distances, as well as other economic considerations [23]. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to quantify the relative impacts of the independent regression variables, namely JF content, GBFS content and curing time, on the composite’s strength
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