Application of Steel Fiber in Soil Stabilization

Abstract

Soil stabilization is a well-known technique used for improving the soil properties, it helps in increasing the shear strength of the soil and controlling soil swell and shrink properties, thus reducing the soil settlement. The use of steel products in our life is increasing day by day hence the production of steel products is also increasing. The industries producing steel products produce a lot of waste material; this waste material is no longer usable because if waste material is to be reused then industries have to melt it, which is not cost-effective. This study proposes a partial solution to this problem by deploying steel fiber (waste) as a stabilizer for soil. This study focuses on obtaining the optimum length of steel fiber for obtaining the maximum strength of the soil. Literature review suggests that soil stabilization using steel fiber has not been explored to the fullest and needs more attention from the research community. The experimentation is undertaken for steel fibers having three different ratios of length to diameter (L/D). Locally available black cotton soil in the region was used for experimentation, the results obtained displayed variation in soil characteristics for different L/D ratios of steel fiber in the form of X–Y plots. The tests were undertaken in accordance with the Indian Standard Codes of Practice. It was found that the effect of steel fiber is significant on the shear strength of the soil. Thus the effect of steel fibers in the improvement of properties of black cotton soil is investigated and the feasibility of steel fibers for the ground is explored.