Laboratory study of shearing resistance of soil reinforced with synthetic fibers

Soil stabilization is an effective mechanical method for soil rehabilitation against applied loads. In recent years, synthetic fibers have been introduced as a novel technique for soil stabilization. Therefore, it is essential to assess the behavior of fiber-reinforced soils. In this study, the behavior of synthetic fiber-stabilized soil was investigated using laboratory tests. Direct shear experiments were performed on the specimens reinforced with glass and polypropylene fibers, 12 mm in length. The tested specimens were reinforced with random distribution of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.5% of synthetic fibers. The direct shear experiments were performed under different vertical stresses. The tests results indicate that the addition of synthetic fibers improves the maximum shear strength of the tested soil samples. Reinforced samples with 0.1% fibers have the highest shear strength of tested soil. Also, the results indicate that under identical conditions, specimens reinforced with polypropylene fibers have higher shear strength than glass fiber-reinforced specimens.