Soil stabilization by reinforcing natural and synthetic fibers – A state of the art review

Abstract

Expansive clays are present in many places across the world. They have an intrinsic volume change that causes fractures, differential settlements, heaves, and damage to the overlaying structures due to seasonal moisture variations. One of the most common treatments for expansive clay subgrades is fly ash (FA) stabilization. It also serves as a possible method for adequately disposing of FA. The inclusion of fibers further enhances the geotechnical properties of soil with FA. The objective of this review article is to examine how different natural and synthetic fibers affect the geotechnical properties of soil. Only peer-reviewed journals and proceedings papers were selected for review. Review of studies suggests that reinforcing soil with fibers is an effective, low-cost soil stabilizing technique with various geotechnical and environmental benefits. Review of the literature revealed that fly ash (FA) at various percentages raises the California Bearing Ratio (CBR) value up to 80–110%. Further, the inclusion of geofibres boosts the CBR values further by 40–50%. In terms of unconfined compressive strength, there has been a substantial improvement reported. The use of geofibres also reduced volume change in the soil (up to 94.4%). This review study will assist geotechnical engineers in stabilizing expansive soils using natural and synthetic fibers and researchers to perform future research.