Mechanical behavior of loose sand reinforced with synthetic fibers

Abstract

This work describes an experimental study about the effects the addition of randomly oriented polypropylene fibers have on the behavior of an alluvial fine to medium sand in a loose state. The study is focused on the characterization of the influence the fiber addition has on the shear strength and on the deformational modulus corresponding to low, medium, and large strain levels of the reinforced sand. The effect of the type (smooth and meshed), length, and fiber content, is analyzed by means of drained triaxial, direct shear, and shear wave velocity tests.