A Study on the Mechanical Behavior of a Fiber-Clay Composite with Natural Fiber

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation into the effects of discrete palm fibers on the consolidation and shear behavior of a randomly reinforced clay soil. Three groups of reinforced soil samples were prepared at three different fiber contents (10, 20 and 30 %). Consolidation and triaxial tests were carried out on the samples. The results indicate that the inclusion of the fiber reinforcement within the soil causes decrease in preconsolidation pressure and increase in compressibility and swelling indices. In addition, the strength and friction angle increase considerably in terms of total and effective stresses. The results also show that the increase in the slope of the critical state line in \( q :p^{\prime } \)space is a function of fiber content.