Effect of Submergence on Settlement and Bearing Capacity of Sand Reinforced with Pet Bottle Geocell

Abstract

In addition to other plastic products, the usage of plastic bottles is increasing alarmingly in the world. Most of the single-use plastic bottles are made of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) and it can be recycled. But the tremendous increase in plastic bottle usage and its unscientific processing are polluting the Earth. This paper evaluates the usefulness of waste PET bottles as geocell mattresses for the improvement of submerged sand and thus its application as mitigation method for liquefaction-prone areas. The effect of height of reinforcement, width of geocell and diameter of unit cell on pressure settlement behavior of P-sand under submerged and dry conditions is studied through model load test. Results show that the strength of sand is poor under submerged conditions. However, its strength can be effectively improved by PET bottle geocell by increasing the width as well as the height of the mattress. Results imply the major role of tensile stiffness of the bottle in increasing the pressure settlement response. This study reveals that plastic waste bottles can be effectively used as stabilizing material so as to solve environmental issues as well as it can be used for stabilizing poor soil that is under submerged condition.