Performance of Shallow Foundations Resting on Coir Geotextile Reinforced Sand Bed

Abstract

Soil reinforcement by natural fibers is a cost-effective and reliable technique for improving the stiffness and stability of soil. Coir is an eco-friendly, biodegradable organic material that has high tearing strength, stiffness, and durability compared to other natural reinforcement materials. In this study, the potential of coir geotextile as a reinforcement material was studied through a set of laboratory experiments. Remarkable improvement in strength and settlement properties were obtained with the provision of geotextiles. Bearing capacity improvement by a factor of 5 and a reduction of footing settlement by 87% was obtained by the suggested method. The optimum benefit was realized with the provision of three layers of reinforcement for a width of 3B (B is the foundation width), the topmost geotextile layer being positioned at a distance of 0.25B from the base of footing. Bearing capacity enhancement by a factor of 2.57 and settlement reduction of 73% was obtained even with the provision of a single layer of coir geotextile.