Abstract

Stabilization of soil using fibers is one of the effective techniques to improve the strength of soils for engineering se. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of coir fiber as natural reinforcement in the stabilization of lateritic soil, which is classified as clayey silt. The performance of Coir fibers is separately analyzed for its impact on the strength of the soil. Tests were conducted on various fiber-soil ratios in six percentage levels such as 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 to determine the optimum fiber content. The index properties tests carried out on the natural soil samples (A and B) showed that the samples belong to A-6 and A-7-6 in the AASHTO classification system respectively and CL according to the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). Compaction characteristics of the natural and treated soil samples were determined using the Standard Proctor method. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) value of 58.59kpa and 87.89kpa obtained for the natural soil, increased to a maximum of 359.31kpa and 261.16kpa at 0.4% fiber content for samples A and B respectively. The California bearing ratio (CBR) values on the other hand increased with increase in fiber content from 14.52% to 23.28% and from 12.47% to 18.92% for soaked samples A and B respectively, and from 17.26% to 27.18% and 15.22% to 21.89% for unsoaked samples A and B respectively. The results indicate that, 0.4% coir fiber content are more optimal and efficient stabilizer for the laterite soil. This study also contributes to effective soil waste management as a befitting sustainable technique to solve current environmental crisis as well.