Isabel Falorca ifalorca@ubi.

pt

Isabel Pinto isabelmp@dec.uc.pt

Ferreira Gomes lmfg@ubi.pt

Full-scale experiment
Microreinforced soil with short polypropylene fibres

Summary
Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Introduction Site characterization Laboratory experiment Full-scale experiment conception Full-scale experiment construction Earthwork quality control Conclusion

Introduction
Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

The optimal mixture of soil and small size reinforcing elements randomly oriented constitutes a 3D soil reinforcing system, designated by Microreinforced soil. Reinforcing elements can have a variety of forms and can be made of synthetic or natural material. * Roots * Mesh elements * Fibrillated fibres * Continuous filaments * Short fibres * Recycling materials

Developed Microreinforced soil Techniques.

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

* TEXSOL (France) 0.1 to 0.2 %

Developed Microreinforced soil Techniques.

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

* mesh-elements (England)
0.1 to 0.2 %

Research Project running at Portugal.

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Randomly oriented short polypropylene fibres showed to be a very promising soil reinforcement technique to improve the shear strength and bearing capacity of soils with no reduction in its permeability.

Fibre percentage 1% Fibre length 100 mm Fibre diameter 0.05 mm

Research Project running at Portugal.

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

The project comprises two main phases: an extensive laboratory experiment conducted to determine the influence of numerous variables on the behaviour of fibre reinforced soil; two full-scale experiments to validate the behaviour of fibre reinforced soil under static and dynamic loads;

Only the field experiment phase will be described, particularly the main full-scale experiment.

Site characterization
Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Ground investigation

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Ground investigation

Preliminary ground investigation to establish the general stratigraphy to establish the depth of bed-rock to define major anomalies

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Ground investigation .

Preliminary ground investigation to establish the general stratigraphy to establish the depth of bed-rock to define major anomalies

Detailed ground . investigation

Site characterization
Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Ground investigation

Preliminary ground investigation to establish the general stratigraphy to establish the depth of bed-rock to define major anomalies

Detailed ground investigation

Site characterization
Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

SM well graded sand with gravel and silt

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion Laboratory tests Selection of the compaction method

soil (SM) reinforced soil (SM05F6d)

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Dry unit weight (kN/m) .
3

Laboratory tests Selection of the compaction method Heavy Proctor compaction test
20.0 19.0 18.0 17.0 16.0 15.0 5 7 9 11 13 15 Water content (%) 17 19 SM SM05F6d

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion Laboratory tests Selection of the compaction method Heavy Proctor compaction test Vibration compaction test

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control

Dry unit weight (kN/m) . 20.0 19.0 18.0 17.0 16.0 15.0 5 7 9 11 13 15 Water content (%) 17 19 SM SM05F6d

Laboratory tests Selection of the compaction method Heavy Proctor compaction test Vibration compaction test

Conclusion

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion Laboratory tests Selection of the compaction method Heavy Proctor compaction test Vibration compaction test

Effect of fibres on behaviour of soil

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Dry unit weight (kN/m) .

20.0

18.0 SM SM05F6d 16.0 5 7 9 SM05F15d 11 13 15 Water content (%) 17 19

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Full-scale experiment construction

to collect information about full-scale mixing techniques to study the behaviour of material under static and dynamic loads

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Before construction

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion Site preparation

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Levelling adjustment and test sections boundary

Fibres Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion Spreading the selected fibres by hand

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion First mixing experiment

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Selected procedure for fibres and soil placement

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Mixing with a recycler type mixer

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion Thickness and levelling measurements of each layer

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Compaction stage

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion Final construction stage

Good weather

Finished On Schedule

Earthwork quality control

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

The following quality control procedures were applied during full-scale experiment construction: thickness and levelling measurements of each layer;

sampling and inspections to check the fibre percentage;

monitoring the compaction quality

Earthwork quality control

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Nuclear moisturedensity gauge:

in situ

Water replacement method test: SM SM05F6d SM05F15d

SM SM05F6d SM05F15d

d mx
1.20 1.10 1.00 0.90 0.80 -6 -4

-2

0 w-wopt (%)

Earthwork quality control

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Nuclear moisturedensity gauge:

in situ

Water replacement method test: SM SM05F6d SM05F15d

SM SM05F6d SM05F15d

d mx
1.20 1.10 1.00 0.90 0.80 -6 -4

-2

0 w-wopt (%)

Earthwork quality control

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Nuclear moisturedensity gauge:

in situ

Water replacement method test: SM SM05F6d SM05F15d

SM SM05F6d SM05F15d

d mx
1.20 1.10 1.00 0.90 0.80 -6 -4

-2

0 w-wopt (%)

Earthwork quality control

Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

Visual inspections

Conclusion
Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

(1/2)

Short polypropylene fibres as soil reinforcement has shown to be a very promising soil reinforcement technique;

Polypropylene fibre reinforced soil at field experiment generally supported the findings of laboratory experiment: by spreading uniformly the fibers and the soil, layer by layer until all the moist soil and fibers have been added, followed by a slight mixing by hand, the mixture was achieved with more facility;

Conclusion
Introduction Site Laboratory tests Conception Construction Quality control Conclusion

(2/2)

The compaction equipment should produce significant localized deformations to compact the fibre reinforced soil;

Some

visual

acceptance

criterions control

in

conventional to be

earthwork

compaction

quality

proved

inadequate for fibre reinforced soil;

The final conclusions of this research will be reached only after the completion of tests that are running (dynamic impact tests, plate loading tests and field permeability tests).

Isabel Falorca ifalorca@ubi.pt

Isabel Pinto isabelmp@dec.uc.pt

Ferreira Gomes lmfg@ubi.pt

THANK YOU