Soil Stabilization with Plastic

Published on 16 May 2022. Written by Reddy Shekar

Soil stabilization is the process of improving the physical and chemical properties of soil. Stabilization helps to increase the shear strength and controls the shrink-swell properties of soil.

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It also improves the load-bearing capacity of the soil to support pavements and foundations. In the construction field, soil stabilization plays a vital role especially during the design and construction of foundations. There are many existing techniques or materials available to achieve soil stabilization. The use of plastic waste as a stabilizer make the soil stabilization process more cheap and eco-friendly.

For many years, researchers developed a lot of new additives like lime, cement kiln, and fly-ash to improve the physical properties of soil. But in recent days, these stabilizers are becoming more expensive to use in the soil stabilization process. This problem demanding an alternative stabilizer to make the soil stabilization cheap. Using the plastic waste fibers as soil stabilizers is an economical way to overcome this problem.

Soil stabilization using plastic waste fibers will improve the strength of soils. This method will results in better and longer lasting structures with increased loading capacity. This technique also helps to meet the various social challenges like reducing the quantity of waste, producing useful materials from non-useful waste materials and others. It can be efficiently used for improving the embankment soils, preparation of suitable base for upper pavement structure, etc…

Project Implementation:

1. Collect the soil sample and perform the laboratory test to find the initial characteristics of soil sample.
2. Determine the specific gravity, grain size analysis and index properties of soil.
3. Perform the test with various proportions of soil and plastic waste fibers.
4. Continue the test until you find the optimum proportion.
5. Conduct the CBR, compaction and index properties tests to find the increase in strength of soil.

Applications of Soil stabilization using plastic:

1. Reduce the permeability of soil.
2. Increase the bearing capacity of soil.
3. Increase the shear strength of soil.
4. Improves the durability.
5. Avoids disposal problems of plastic.
6. Reduction in cracks and swelling.
7. Increase CBR values.
8. Reduction in consolidation settlement.

Conclusion:

Plastic is one of the major toxic pollutants in recent days. Using plastic as soil stabilizer will drastically eliminate this problem. And also improves the soil performance in the design of pavements and foundations.

Kit required to develop Soil Stabilization with Plastic :

• Soil
• Plastic waste

Technologies you will learn by working on Soil Stabilization with Plastic :

• Soil stabilization

Any Questions?