Effect of soil burial exposure on durability of alkali-activated binder-treated jute geotextile

The use of natural fibers for ground improvement has gained a lot of popularity in the present world in order to achieve sustainability. However, the major problem of using a natural fiber in soil is its biodegradability within a short period of 6–12 months. Research has proved that the life span of natural jute can be improved by treating them with antimicrobial chemicals. But these chemical treatments are expensive as well as lead to leaching. The present paper proposes a sustainable and environment friendly method to improve the strength and durability properties of jute geotextiles by treating it with alkali-activated binder (AAB). Reaction between an activator solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate and an aluminosilicate precursor (Class F Fly ash) lead to the formation AAB. The water to solid ratio is varied in the present study from 0.35 to 0.45 to obtain the optimum workable solution. A series of microstructural (Stereomicroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope) and mechanical characterization (thickness, mass density and aperture opening size) tests along with durability tests (soil burial) are conducted for both untreated and treated jute. Locally available red soil is used for the soil burial study. It is inferred from microstructural studies that the lignocellulosic structure present in jute fiber is not fully altered by AAB treatment. From durability test, it is observed that the tensile strength of AAB-treated jute improves almost twofold in comparison to untreated jute. The durability tests indicate that after a burial period of 6 months, the tensile strength AAB-treated jute is significantly greater than untreated jute.