An Experimental Study on The Effect of Geopolymeric Composite Reinforcement on Soil Subgrade for Flexible Pavements

Abstract

The use of geo-synthetics, such as geotextiles, has the potential to enhance the inherent engineering and geotechnical properties of subgrade soils that exhibit poor conditions. The use of geotextiles in pavement construction has many advantages, including enhanced subgrade strength and the ability to construct flexible pavements that are both efficient and cost-effective since it reduces the pavement thickness. In the realm of flexible pavement system development, the significance of subgrade soils and their inherent characteristics, including permeability and strength, is well acknowledged. The study included conducting experiments to investigate the use of geo-polymeric materials like geo-textiles on improving the mechanical properties of the subgrade soils under varying moisture conditions. Geotextiles possess good tensile resistance as it is made up of good polymeric material like polyester, polypropylene and polyethylene. Geotechnical tests including grain size analysis, Atterberg limits, California bearing ratio test, and compaction tests, were conducted.  CBR tests and UCS tests were conducted by placing the geotextiles in a singular arrangement at various depths and subjecting them to both soaked and unsoaked conditions to assess the soil’s strength. The results demonstrate that the use of geosynthetic reinforcement in the soil effectively enhances the strength of the subgrade across various soil types. The optimal performance of geo-synthetics in relation to their placement inside the CBR mold was found to be at a distance of 1/3 of the mold’s height from the top. This placement outperformed the alternative distances of 1/2 and 2/3 of the mold’s height.

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