Assessment of the Impact of Wastewater Sachets on the Bearing Capacity of Phyllitic Soil

Soil improvement is a major factor considered when dealing with weak soils for engineering purposes. This report presents the various tests conducted on fiber-reinforced soil with varying fiber content and different aspect ratios. Strips of wastewater sachets were used as a reinforcement material to perform the strength test on the soil. Several Compaction and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) tests were conducted on randomly reinforced soil by alternating the aspect ratio or sizes of plastic strips. The aspect ratios used were 15x10 mm, 15x20 mm and 15x30 mm. The CBR value obtained for the unreinforced soil was 6.85%. The CBR values obtained for the reinforced soil with the plastic fiber of sizes, 15x10 mm, 15x20 mm, and 15x30 mm were 9.31%, 16.91%, and 17.57% respectively. The CBR test results showed that the reinforcement benefit increased with an increase in aspect ratio. Hence, appropriately cut strips of wastewater sachets with optimum sizes would prove useful for soil improvement if mixed with locally available soils in an appropriate quantity. The proposed technique is recommended for embankment/road construction, industrial yards among others.