Assessing Flexural Behavior of Stabilized and Reinforced Clay

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Faculty of Civil Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.

2 Faculty of Civil Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.

10.22091/cer.2025.12150.1596

Abstract

In this study, the flexural behavior of stabilized and reinforced clay was investigated. For this purpose, kaolinite, lime at weight dosages of 1%, 3%, and 5%, as well as polypropylene fibers of 6 mm and 12 mm in length, and weight contents of 0.15%, 0.25%, and 0.35% were utilized. Samples were cured in a laboratory environment at 20-25°C for periods of 7 and 28 days. For quantitative and qualitative evaluations, three-point bending tests and scanning electron microscopy were employed. Results indicated that stabilization increased the flexural strength and brittleness of kaolinite, while simultaneous reinforcement and stabilization improved both strength and ductility. Furthermore, findings demonstrated that flexural strength and strain at maximum stress are directly related to fiber content, fiber length, lime dosage, and curing time. Specifically, increasing fiber content from 0.15% to 0.35%, fiber length from 6 mm to 12 mm, raising lime dosage from 1% to 5%, and extending curing period from 7 days to 28 days improved the flexural strength of the stabilized and reinforced samples by 6%-18%, 20%-43%, 141%-178%, and 5%-17%, respectively. Similarly, strain corresponding to maximum stress was enhanced by 10%-25%, 28%-74%, 88%-161%, and 10%-34%. Qualitative analyses revealed that stabilization improves interactions at soil-fibers interfaces.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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