LABORATORY STUDY ON THE INFLUENCE OF WASTE PLASTIC FIBRE ON FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT

Abstract

This project is an attempt to understand the strength of subgrade in terms of CBR values and the
corresponding variation in moisture content and to demonstrate the potential of high density polyethylene waste plastic
fibres (HDPE) as soil reinforcement for improving engineering performance of subgrade soil. With this, a series of
California Bearing Ratio (CBR) tests were carried out randomly reinforced soil in which the percentage of waste plastic
fibres with different lengths and proportions (0 to 6 %) were carried on.
The Indian Road Congress (IRC) encodes the exact design strategies of the pavement layers based upon the subgrade
strength which is primarily dependent on CBR value for a laboratory. The results and conclusions were made which
shows that use of waste plastic fibres in soil in an appropriate amount really aids in improving the strength of soil and
also helps in modification of soil properties. The reinforcement benefit increased with an increase in waste plastic fibre
content and waste plastic fibre length. The proposed technique can be used to advantage in embankment/road
construction. The material can be used in base courses in constructing rural roads over saturated clay, thereby leading
to safe disposal of these waste plastic materials in an environment friendly manner.