Cyclic Triaxial Tests Research Articles

Relation between liquefaction resistance and shear modulus of crushable volcanic soils

Pumice-rich soils originating from volcanic eruptions are deposited in various parts of the world, such as in the central region of North Island, NZ. The pumice sand components of these natural pumiceous (NP) soils are known to be crushable and lightweight, resulting in a significant difference in their cyclic resistance ratio (CRR) and small-strain shear modulus (Gmax) when compared to hard-grained (quartz) sands. In this paper, the results of a number of cyclic triaxial and bender element tests performed on reconstituted specimens of three types of NP sands having different pumice contents (PC), as well as on quartz-type Toyoura sand specimens, are discussed. Then, the concept of modified cyclic yield strain, εay,m, which relates the CRR of the specimen to its Gmax, is used. The results indicate that εay,m appears to be dependent only on the soil type, and independent of the confining pressure applied and the relative density of the specimen. All NP sand specimens show higher εay,m when compared to Toyoura sand because of their higher CRR and lower Gmax, with values of εay,m increasing as the PC of the specimen increases. Based on the results obtained, an empirical chart is developed to estimate the CRR of NP sands from their shear wave velocity (Vs) values under field conditions.

Monotonic and cyclic behaviour of sand-silt mixtures through the equivalent state parameter

This paper presents the results of a laboratory investigation into the effect of non-plastic fines on the monotonic and cyclic behaviour of sand-silt mixtures. For this purpose, drained and undrained triaxial monotonic and undrained stresscontrolled cyclic triaxial tests were performed on clean sand and its mixtures with non-plastic silt. The Critical State theory known as a characteristic state of soil behaviour and the equivalent state concept were used to the interpretation of the laboratory tests results. By estimating parameter b, which recognizes that different percentages of fines contribute differently to the strength of the sand and consequently the equivalent intergranular void ratio, (eg)eq, a single Critical State Line, CSL, is determined in the (eg)eq-log(p΄) plane, and a single liquefaction resistance curve at the CRR15-(eg)eq, independently of fines content, fc, based on the monotonic and cyclic tests results, respectively. It is shown that parameter b depends on the fines content, fc, and on the loading type of the laboratory test conducted, while (eg)eq proves to be a suitable parameter for the estimation of the monotonic behavior and undrained critical state strength as well as the liquefaction resistance of granular mixtures up to the threshold fines content value, fcth, independently of their fines content. The effectiveness of state parameter, ψ, and equivalent state parameter, (ψg)eq, in the estimation of the undrained critical state strength and liquefaction resistance of sand-silt mixtures is confirmed.

Influence of geosynthetics reinforcement on liquefaction and post-liquefaction behaviors of calcareous sand

To provide new insights into the liquefaction and post-liquefaction behaviors of calcareous sand with and without geosynthetics reinforcement, a series of multi-stage cyclic triaxial tests were conducted. The geosynthetics employed in this study include geogrid, geotextile, and geotextile-geogrid composite. The multi-stage tests consist of an initial cyclic loading applied to cause liquefaction, followed by undrained monotonic loading without excess pore pressure dissipation. The effect of different arrangements of reinforcement layer on the behaviors of calcareous sand is examined and discussed in this study. The test results indicate that a unique relationship can be observed between the double amplitude axial strain and the pore pressure ratio of calcareous sand, irrespective of the influence of reinforcement layer arrangement, providing an effective means of predicting the strain at a given pore pressure level. The liquefaction resistance of calcareous sand increases with the increase in the number of reinforcement layer and decreases with the increase in the distance from the first layer of reinforcement to the sample’s top surface. Compared to geogrid and geotextile, the proposed geotextile-geogrid composite exhibits better efficiency in enhancing the liquefaction resistance of calcareous sand. The reinforcement also accelerates the recovery of strength for liquefied calcareous sand and increases the maximum shear strength of sand at large axial strain during the post-liquefaction stage.

Dynamic Shear Responses of Combined Contaminated Soil Treated with Nano Zero-Valent Iron (nZVI) under Controlled Moisture

Nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) technologies have gained recognition for the remediation of heavily contaminated sites and reused as backfilling soil. The moisture environment at these sites not only impacts the reactions and reactivity of nZVI but also the dynamic responses of compacted backfilled soils. The research explored the effects of different nZVI dosages (0.2%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 5%) on Lead-Zinc-Nickel ions contaminated soil under a controlled-moisture condition. Cyclic triaxial tests were performed to evaluate the dynamic responses of treated soil samples prepared using a consistent moisture compaction method. Particle size distribution and Atterberg limits tests assessed changes in particle size and plasticity. The study revealed a minor reduction in the particle size, liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of the contaminated soil. Notably, increasing nZVI dosages in treated soils led to growing Atterberg limits. An increase in the specific sand fraction of treated soils was observed with nZVI, suggesting nanoparticles–soil aggregations favoring existing larger particles. Stepwise loading cyclic triaxial tests indicated an optimal dynamic response of soil treated with 1% nZVI under the controlled-moisture condition, proven by notable enhancements in the maximum shear modulus, maximum shear stress, less shear strain, and higher damping ratio within the small strain range. It should be noted that moisture content in treated soils declined significantly with higher nZVI dosages during preparation, potentially impeding effective aggregation and the formation of a solid soil skeleton. These findings advance the importance of considering the balanced nZVI dosage and moisture content when employing the safety assessment of practical applications in both nano-remediation techniques and soil mechanics.

Dynamic resilient modulus of subgrade silty clay for heavy-haul railway: an experimental investigation and the predicted method

A large-scale series of cyclic triaxial tests were conducted to explore the evolution of the dynamic resilient modulus of silty clay for the heavy-haul railway subgrade. A novel loading sequence for measuring the dynamic resilient modulus was established, which characterized the dynamic stress state of the subgrade induced by the heavy-haul train load. In the experimental investigation, the deviatoric stresses, confining stress, initial moisture content, and compaction degree were considered as variables, and the effects of the aforementioned variables were evaluated quantitatively. The experimental results showed that the dynamic resilient modulus was negatively related to deviatoric stresses and initial moisture content, where the average decreased rates were 14.65% and 27.79% with the increase in deviatoric stresses from 60 kPa to 150 kPa and increase in the initial moisture content from 9.8% to 15.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the dynamic resilient modulus was positively related to confining stress and compaction degree, where the average increased rates were 23.25% and 27.48% with the increase in confining stress from 20 kPa to 60 kPa and increase in compaction degree from 0.91 to 0.95. To provide a better application, the two high-accuracy predicted methods were established through the empirical model and artificial neural network approach including the aforementioned variables. This study can provide useful guidelines for the effective and safe design of the heavy-haul railway subgrade filled with silty clay.

INVESTIGATION DYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF SOIL (THE DAMPING RATIO AND SHEAR MODULUS) FOR RESISTANCE DESIGN AT THE LNG BAC LIEU GAS PIPELINE PROJECT BY CYCLIC TRIAXIAL TEST

The LNG Bac Lieu gas pipeline project is part of the 3.200MW LNG power plant complex in Bac Lieu province. The entire pipeline will be designed underground at the sea floor to be directly subjected to dynamic loads (earthquakes, waves ...). Soil response to dynamic loads is measured by the soil's dynamic properties such as dynamic strength, shear modulus and damping ratio. These soil parameters are very significant to study the movement of the ground as well as the local reaction of soil sediments under the effect of loads and cyclic soil structure. Therefore, it is very important to investigate the earth's dynamic properties (dynamic strength, damping ratio and shear modulus) to design seismic resistance for this project. From the relevant literature, it is known that the dynamic properties of the soil are influenced by the soil type and the position of the soil structure. 6 soil samples were examined randomly at different depths to determine soil properties. When studying dynamic strength, people often use direct test methods such as torsion cutting, cyclic flat cutting and cyclic triaxial test to determine the dynamic strength (dynamic resistance) of the soil. In which, the cyclic triaxial test method allows the simulation of real-world conditions to be easily simulated. The results of applying this method to soft clay and clay phases show that the damping ratio is 0.117-0.162D, the average is 0.136D, the shear module is 1650-2632kPa, the average is 2141kPa.

Soil improvement using agar gum polymer for seismic liquefaction mitigation

Liquefaction can cause ground subsidence and structural collapses, which could result in considerable damage. While numerous preventive methods have been proposed to prevent such liquefaction, most of these methods involve cement-based reinforcements, thus potentially introducing other environmental problems, such as groundwater contamination and increased carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, it is essential to develop and use eco-friendly, ground-reinforcement materials. Agar gum is an eco-friendly biopolymer extracted as a result of the biological activities of microorganisms. Ground-reinforcement of agar gum enhances its effectiveness in improving the unconfined compressive and shear strengths, thus making it a suitable, eco-friendly, ground-reinforcement material. However, while the use of agar gum could (logically) increase the strength of liquefaction resistance, there is insufficient research to support this assumption. Therefore, in this study, the viscosity, unconfined compressive strength, and hardness of agar gum were quantified, and the liquefaction resistance strength was evaluated based on cyclic triaxial tests using agar-gum-treated samples. The hardness, unconfined compressive strength, and liquefaction resistance strength increased with increasing agar gum concentrations, and the change based on a curing time was relatively constant. In addition, the effect of enhancing the liquefaction resistance strength using agar gum was confirmed based on a comparison with previous studies using untreated samples and other reinforcing materials.

Offshore foundations in low-plasticity cohesive soils: Cyclic degradation experimental evidence and simplified numerical analysis

The paper studies the effect of soil strength and stiffness degradation on the undrained cyclic performance of offshore foundations in low-plasticity cohesive soil using 3D finite element modelling. Cyclic triaxial tests on reconstituted kaolin are conducted at the ETH Zurich laboratory, providing insights into key parameters affecting the degradation process. A simplified soil constitutive model accounting for cyclic degradation is developed and encoded in Abaqus via a user subroutine. The model is calibrated against experimental results and validated with published centrifuge model tests of monopiles under cyclic lateral loading. It is subsequently used to evaluate the performance of suction caisson foundations with different aspect ratios (L/D = 0.5 and 2) under short-term cyclic and seismic loading. Due to its ductile resistance mechanism, the L/D = 0.5 caisson exhibits superior performance under vertical cyclic loading in fast-degrading soil. Under inclined cyclic loading, the slower degradation rate of the L/D = 2 caisson governs response, reversing the trend. Under seismic shaking, the degradation-induced resistance imbalance amplifies the irrecoverable settlements produced by kinematic shearing at the caisson sidewalls. For the fast-degrading soil examined, degradation is shown to increase settlements by up to 50%.

The friction-weakening cause by localized wear-induced damage and its effect on liquefaction resistance of sandy soil using DEM

Localized wear-induced damage caused by stress concentration at the contact point can lead to the decrease of the frictional coefficient (μ) of sandy soil, further affecting the liquefaction resistance. In this study, a bi-linear the friction-weakening model is proposed to describe the decreasing trend of μ with the increase of normal contact force (fn). Through a series of undrained cyclic triaxial tests, the influence of localized wear-induced damage on the characteristics of cyclic liquefaction is investigated from both macroscopic and microscopic perspectives. The macroscopic results indicate that samples have weaker liquefaction resistance due to the friction-weakening. Under low confining pressure (P0), the influence of the friction-weakening on the liquefaction resistance is relatively limited. With the increase of P0, the decrease of liquefaction resistance gradually becomes significant. However, the effect of friction-weakening on the liquefaction resistance does not remain constant, but shows a decreasing trend with the accumulation of excess pore water pressure ratio (EPWPR). From the microscopic perspective, the reduction of liquefaction resistance can be explained by the coordination number (Z) and the contact sliding ratio. Although higher Z caused by the friction-weakening may lead to greater liquefaction resistance, higher sliding contact ratio have been found to weaken the liquefaction resistance, and its influence exceeds Z.

Shear behaviour of loess under varied drainage conditions subjected to monotonic and cyclic loads

The role of drainage conditions in altering the shear behaviour of loess is a fundamental concern, yet remaining unclear in the current literature. This paper presents an experimental investigation into the problem on saturated intact loess through static and cyclic triaxial tests. Four types of drainage conditions were controlled during shearing, including drained, undrained, water-absorbing and partially drained conditions. Results from the static triaxial test revealed that the loess exhibited a strain-hardening behaviour in the drained condition. When the drainage of the loess sample was gradually restricted, it showed strain-softening behaviour, and the lowest shear strength occurred in the sample under the water-absorbing condition. A fairly good correlation has been established between the strain increment ratio and the stress ratio at the asymptotic state. When subjected to the cyclic loads, the loess sample demonstrated the cyclic mobility type of failure mode. A smaller number of cycles were found at failure for the loess samples under the water-absorbing condition than that under the conventional undrained condition. Of a particular interest was the partially drained condition. The mean effective stress of the loess sample firstly reduced, and it then regained as the cyclic load gradually proceeded. At the meanwhile, the excess pore water pressure of the sample reduced after reaching a peak value. In this study, the dynamic elastic modulus and the damping ratio of the loess samples were also examined. Compared with the undrained case, the dynamic elastic modulus is greater under the partially drained condition, and it is lower under the water-absorbing condition. Accordingly, an opposite trend was found for the damping ratio. The above experimental results provide evidences on how the drainage conditions expedite or retard the occurrence of shear failure in loess, confirming the significant impact of the drainage conditions on the shear behaviour of loess.

An Updated Cyclic CBR Test with Realistic Stress Values under the Plunger for Resilient Modulus Calculation

The design and assessment of forest and rural road pavements made from unbound natural and recycled materials require the careful determination of their physical-mechanical properties. The fundamental parameter for characterizing the soil material property is considered to be the resilient modulus Mr. The generally accepted alternative solution for its calculation is the cyclic CBR test, which uses standard CBR testing equipment. To perform tests on intact specimens and under stress conditions corresponding to expected states of stress in a pavement structure, an updated cyclic CBR test is proposed. In contrast to the standard cyclic CBR test, the applied loading force for repeated loadings is not determined in the first loading step by the plunger penetration to the prescribed depth, but by the stress value that is expected in an actual pavement structure. The updated test was verified on 240 tested specimens taken from a total of 40 soil samples belonging to nine soil types according to the USCS system. The resilient modulus results obtained are compared with those obtained using the standard cyclic CBR test and the cyclic triaxial test.

Shear modulus prediction of landfill components using novel machine learners hybridized with forensic-based investigation optimization

The assessment of the shear modulus (G) of municipal solid waste (MSW) and leachate-contaminated soil (LCS) is of vital importance for landfill engineering investigation and achieving sustainable development goals. In this study, 153 cyclic triaxial tests on MSW (reconstructed samples under CU conditions) and 104 cyclic simple shear tests (strain controlled) on LCS were conducted to assess the shear modulus. The examined variables are plastic percentage (0–0.274), age (0–16 years), shear strain (0.075–3.63%), unit weight (9 and 12 KPa), frequency (0.1–1 Hz), and confining pressure (75 and 150 KPa) for MSW and leachate content (0–40%), shear strain (0.05–1%), frequency (0.1 and 1 Hz), and vertical load (50–350 KPa) for LCS. Laboratory assessment of cyclic parameters is costly and complicated which requires precise testing and the experts. Therefore, multiple types of ensemble models (AdaBoost, GBRT, XGBoost, and Random Forest (RF)) were utilized along with Forensic-Based Investigation Optimization (FBIO). The application of numerical and computational approaches as the main novelty of the research can be a step forward to save time and money. The performance comparison of the established models on experimental datasets showed that GBRT- FBIO model outperformed the other models for G-MSW (R2 =0.99, RMSE=0.164, MAE=0.122, MAPE=0.073, and a20-index=0.956 for testing datasets) and G-LCS (R2 =0.99, RMSE=0.477, MAE=0.385, MAPE=0.028, and a20-index=1 for testing datasets). Finally, the outcomes of the sensitivity analysis also displayed the most participation of shear strain (50.87%) and vertical load (52.1%) to the shear modulus of MSW and LCS.

Use of recycled ceramic beads to enhance mechanical behavior of low-plastic clays

Due to the huge amount of annual non-renewable ceramic waste disposal, it is in favor of eco-system to reuse the ceramic waste in earthwork structures. Thus, among several different applications of ceramic components, they can also be used to replace aggregates in the core of embankment dams, waste disposal projects and to form subgrade of roads and railways. The main issues addressed in this study are the effect of the volumetric content and size of the ceramic inclusions on the mechanical properties of ceramic-clay mixtures. Using an experimental approach, strain-controlled monotonic, stress-controlled cyclic, and post-cyclic monotonic triaxial undrained tests were made. The innovation of this study is that sphere beads of ceramic with different diameters were added to low-plastic clay to explore the role of bead size on the mechanical properties of bead and clay mixtures under monotonic, cyclic and post-cyclic loadings. Thus, we tested four types of specimens consisting of merely pure clay, 80% clay–20% bead, 60% clay–40% bead, and 40% clay–60% bead. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images were additionally used to investigate the fabric of the clay between the ceramic beads. Test results revealed, firstly, that effective friction angle and undrained shear strength increase with the bead content. Secondly, dilative behavior was captured in all the bead and clay mixtures. Further, both dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio increase with the bead content. Similarly, post-cyclic shear strength increases with the bead content. Finally, different bead diameters did not change the observed trend.

Evaluating the Long-Term Plastic Strain Accumulation in Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) Application for Road Subbase Construction: A Cyclic Triaxial Loading Study

Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) has gained significant attention in recent years as an environmentally sustainable solution for road construction. However, the main concerns are regarding its long-term performance and the potential impact on the road subbase. This study aims to investigate the behavior of RAP under cyclic triaxial loading conditions, specifically focusing on the accumulation of plastic strain over time. The research methodology involved laboratory testing using a cyclic triaxial apparatus to simulate the stress conditions experienced by RAP in road subbase applications in reference to AASHTO code. Several RAP specimens with varying degrees of compaction were subjected to repeated cyclic loading while monitoring the associated plastic strain accumulation. To provide a comparative analysis, conventional subbase materials were also tested under the same conditions. The findings indicate that RAP exhibits a notable disadvantage in terms of long-term plastic strain accumulation when compared to conventional subbase materials. The cyclic triaxial loading tests revealed a substantial increase in plastic strain accumulation over extended periods, suggesting the potential for long-term deformations and compromised performance of the road structure. This accumulation of plastic strain could lead to increased maintenance requirements and decreased service life of the road. Based on the results obtained, it is recommended that careful consideration be given to the utilization of RAP in road subbase construction in areas subjected to heavy cyclic loading conditions. Additional research and development efforts are necessary to explore potential mitigation strategies and optimize the use of RAP, ensuring sustainable and resilient road infrastructure.

Study on mechanical property and breakage behavior of tunnel slag containing weak rocks as road construction material

In the construction of roadbeds in mountainous areas, crushed rock slag (CRS) generated by tunnel blasting is usually reused as road construction material to reduce environmental pollution and construction costs. A series of large-scale drained triaxial tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical behavior of CRS subjected to static and traffic loading. The static triaxial tests determined the maximum stress level that can be applied to the cyclic test. The cyclic triaxial test analyses the influence of cyclic stress amplitude and confining pressure on the cumulative strain of CRS material. The particle breakage of the sample under various conditions after cyclic loading was discussed, and the relationship between the relative breakage index and the final accumulated strain was analyzed. Test results indicated that with the increase in confining pressure, the peak strength of the material exhibits a continual enhancement, while the expansion behavior experiences a gradual attenuation. In the range of static failure strength, the increase of cyclic stress level will significantly increase the accumulated axial strain rate. After the cyclic loading, the particle breakage patterns are similar under different confining pressures. A good power function relationship exists between the relative breakage index and final axial strain, and further derivation of the functional expression of the relative breakage index and both cyclic stress ratio and confining pressure.

Assessment of fabric characteristics with the development of sand liquefaction in cyclic triaxial tests: A DEM study

This paper studies fabric properties with the evolution of sand liquefaction by performing a series of 3D constant-volume cyclic triaxial DEM tests. With calibrated parameters for HN31 sand, the consistency between the obtained DEM results and the counterpart experiments is presented. The evolution of fabric characteristics is then assessed with the coordination number and mechanical coordination number, respectively. For liquefaction issues, the conventional coordination number outperforms the mechanical one since the floating particles with the number of contacts less than or equal to 1 can be fully considered. To analyse the complex inter-particle contacts in a granular assembly, the second-order contact normal fabric tensor is briefly introduced with its important mathematical properties. The second invariant of its deviatoric part can prove to be a proper index describing the degree of anisotropy in the principal fabric space spanned by the three eigenvectors belonging to this tensor. Following the direction of the applied loading, the fabric anisotropy accumulates in a gradual manner and finally reaches a threshold value corresponding to liquefaction triggering on the macro scale. This value is fabric-dependent and thus independent of loading intensity. For gaining a complete insight of sand liquefaction on both the micro and macro scales, the shear strain can act as a bridge to describe the evolution of coordination number and the anisotropy degree, respectively.

An extended hypoplastic model for sands with additions of highly plastic fines formulated under the ISA framework

In the present work, the hypoplastic model for sands by Wolffersdorff, (1996) coupled with Intergranular Strain Anisotropy (ISA) by Fuentes et al., (2020) is extended to account for the influence of fines content on the undrained cyclic response and liquefaction resistance of the material. A set of undrained cyclic triaxial tests on clean Ottawa C778 sand and on the same sand with additions of bentonite or laponite were simulated to evaluate the model’s capabilities. The comparison between experiments and element test simulation results suggest that the proposed extended model is able to accurately describe the behavior of clean Ottawa C778 sand and the significant influence of plastic fines in the response of the mixtures, such as the reduction in the accumulation rates of strains and pore water pressure under cyclic loading, and therefore, the improvement in the liquefaction resistance with increasing fines content.

Using Cyclic CBR Method to Determine Resilient Modulus of Hydraulic Binder Stabilised Road Pavement Base Layers

The mechanistic-empirical (E-M) design of pavement structures requires knowledge of the elastic modulus of the layers comprising the structure. The necessary cyclic (dynamic) triaxial testing is expensive and cumbersome for low-volume forest and agricultural roads. Opiyo (1995) developed a method called cyclic CBR (cCBR) to determine the resilient modulus (Mr) of granular road construction materials using CBR testing equipment. The present study tested the cCBR method on silty, fine sand stabilised with lime and a lime-cement mixture. For the test, 24 test specimens were prepared by adding 3, 5 and 7% pure lime and a 70–30 lime-cement mixture at the targeted 8–23% water content. Three metrics were used to express the bearing capacity of the specimens: (1) the commonly used CBR% value, (2) the Mr value calculated as a function of load force and elastic deformation determined as a result of the cCBR test, and (3) the resilient modulus calculated from the CBR value. The experimental results showed that the initial water content had a greater effect on the bearing capacity than the binder dosage. The present study found the cCBR procedure to be feasible. The test results were converted to a resilient modulus value using the formula developed by Opiyo and Molenaar, respectively. The calculated resilient modulus values from the CBR value exhibited a wide variation. Uzan's formula provided similar results to those calculated by Molenaar's formula. A 250 m long experimental road section was also constructed to verify the laboratory data. Based on the laboratory tests, five different 50 m long stabilisation layers were built. The bearing capacity data measured with the handheld BC-1 LFWD and KUAB-FWD equipment verified Molenaar's formula.

Mechanism of seismic liquefaction for heterogeneous soil

In addition to inducing uncertainty in the predicted response, natural spatial variability of soil properties affects the mechanical response of geotechnical structures. When a failure surface is involved in the response, this surface can deviate from its theoretical location to pass through weaker zones of material. For the case of seismically induced soil liquefaction, it has been found that a larger amount of excess pore water pressure is generated in a soil exhibiting small-scale variability of its properties than in the corresponding uniform soil having geomechanical properties equal to the average properties of the heterogeneous soil. An explanation for this important phenomenon is provided in this paper based on the results of centrifuge experiments and numerical simulations of heterogeneous and homogeneous saturated soil deposits subjected to seismic loads. It is demonstrated, based on a detailed analysis of the results, that partial drainage during the earthquake, consisting of pore water inflow from loose soil zones that liquefy first toward surrounding dense areas, may trigger softening of dilative soils. The water inflow effects in terms of volumetric strains leading to reduced cyclic resistance of dense sands are compared with results of specially designed cyclic triaxial tests reported by other researchers.

Performance of fibre-reinforced landfill mined soil like fraction as an environment friendly fill material

Landfill mining is emerging as an effective strategy towards mitigation of the problems associated with legacy landfills. About 40–80% of the landfill mined waste is soil-like fraction (landfill mined soil like fraction, LMSF) that is obtained after removing the combustibles and recyclables. However, due to its lower calorific value and presence of organic content, LMSF has not found many applications except landfill cover material and filling of low-lying areas. In this context, the present study explores the strength properties of LMSF with and without fibres (coir and polypropylene fibres) through unconfined compression, direct shear, UU triaxial, cyclic UU triaxial, indirect tension and bending strength tests. Overall, the shear strength properties of LMSF are similar to sand with some cohesion. Further, the performance of LMSF with optimum fibre proportion (2% for coir fibres and 1.5% for polypropylene fibres) is quite superior under monotonic and cyclic compressive loading conditions, as well as indirect tension and flexural loading conditions. An assessment of 1 m replacement of soft soil with LMSF with/without fibre reinforcement infers substantial increase in the allowable bearing pressure of LMSF. Overall, though LMSF may need assessment/pre-treatment (as required) due to presence of organic content and any possible heavy metal concentration, utilization of LMSF would encourage the adoption of landfill mining process. The current research insights contribute in the direction of achieving sustainable infrastructure development by reduction in the landfill area that would reduce the depletion of conventionally utilized natural resources for fill applications such as sand and gravel, and contribute positively towards environment.