Numerical simulation of cement-treated soil reinforced with coir fiber subjected to flexural loading

Abstract

The utilization of soft marine clay deposits in the construction of earth platforms has recently come under concern because of potential for cracking in the compacted layer after construction. Because soft marine clay is weak in tension, a testing program was undertaken to determine the effects of using coir fibers and cement as reinforcements on the potential failure of the soft marine clay layer. The investigated admixture of cement and coir fiber was fixed at 10% of cement, with the amount of coir fiber contents varying at 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, and 2.5%. A three-point bending test was conducted to investigate the flexural behavior of the soil treated with coir fibers and cement at 7, 14, and 28 days curing age. The results show that the addition of coir fibers and cement increase both flexural strength and Young's modulus. The numerical analysis using ABAQUS software was also conducted to observe failure patterns of the soil beam composite. © 2016 ASCE.