Enhancing the Flexural Characteristics of Stabilized Kaolinite Clay by Reinforcing with Composite Fiber

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.

Abstract

In this research, a new type of fiber known as composite fibers has been utilized to enhance the flexural properties of stabilized clay. The core of the composite fiber consists of elastane, while its shell is composed of numerous polyester fibers. In this regard, kaolinite clay, lime at weight contents of 1%, 3%, and 5%, and composite fi-bers at weight contents of 1.5%, 2.5%, and 3.5%, with lengths of 6 mm and 12 mm, have been employed for sample preparation, along with curing periods of 7 and 28 days. For quantitative and qualita-tive investigations, three-point bending tests, as well as optical and scanning electron microscopy, have been employed. The results in-dicated that the reinforcement of stabilized kaolinite with composite fibers led to improvements of 10% to 78% in flexural strength and a factor 3.1 to 41.5 in the corresponding strain. The findings also demonstrated that the performance of composite fibers in enhancing the strength and ductility of stabilized kaolinite is directly related to the content and length of the fibers, the lime content, and the curing time. Furthermore, quantitative evaluations revealed that the dual structure of the composite fibers, particularly the polyester shell wrapped around the elastane core, created suitable mechanical in-teraction with the soil due to their high number and perpendicular orientation to the tensile direction, effectively strengthening re-sistance against pull-out forces.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 18 October 2025

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