Soil Reinforcement Using Waste Plastic Materials

Soil reinforcement is a ground improvement techniques used in different civil engineering structures like earth retaining structures, embankment, foundations, road construction, etc. In this study, an attempt was made to collect the soil samples in such a way that it has different plasticity index. Accordingly, samples from surrounding areas of the Kanpur were collected and analyzed for their plasticity index. It was observed that three locations such as PSIT Campus, Naramau and Bithoor indicated medium plastic, high plastic and low plastic category of soil respectively. Hence these soils were used for soil reinforcement study. Waste plastics like polythene bags and plastic bottles cut into uniform small pieces of 1 cm x 1 cm size and made perforated. Then it was mixed in differentproportions like 0.50%, 0.75%, 1.00% and 1.25% with soils. The natural soils of different plasticity indexes were analyzed for optimum water content, maximum dry density, liquid limit, plastic limit, particle size, shear strength parameters (angle of shearing resistance, cohesion) and California bearing ratio. Mixed proportions were analyzed for shear strength parameters and California bearing ratio. Influence of waste plastics on shear strength parameters and California bearing ratio were assessed. Influence of angle of shearing resistance on bearing capacity factors were also determined. Mixing of waste plastics with different types of soil improved the shear strength parameters and California bearing ratio.