Structural and Mechanical Analysis of Low Plasticitiy Clayey Soils Reinforced with Pet Fibers Before and After Freeze-Thaw

In this study, structural analyzes of low plasticity clayey soil and waste PET fiber

mixture before and after freeze-thaw were investigated by uniaxial compressive test, X-Ray

Diffraction method (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). In order to determine

the effects of waste PET fibers on low plasticity clays, three different ratios of 0.1%, 0.2%,

0.3% and 10-25 mm long and 0.02 mm thick waste PET fibers were used. The strength properties of the waste PET fibers-clayey soil mixture randomly distributed in the clayey soil were

determined using a series of unconfined compression tests and for the freeze-thaw tests. XRD

test was used to obtain the crystal nature of clay soil and waste PET fibers and SEM images

was used to obtain detailed information about the surface morphology of the samples. It has

been found that the randomly dispersed waste PET fiber admixture into the clayey soil before

to freeze-thawing increases the peak compressive strength and ductility of the soil samples,

whereas the free compressive strength of the samples generally decreases after freeze-thawing,

but fiber incorporation partially inhibits the loss of strength. As a result, significant increases

in the strength of clayey soils reinforced with waste PET fibers were detected.