Mechanical characteristics of soft clay treated with fibre and cement
ABSTRACT: In this study, the influence of three types of fibre – polypropylene, recycled carpet and steel – on the mechanical properties of cement-treated clay is investigated. Cement-treated clay specimens were prepared with cement contents of 5%, 10% and 15% by weight of dry soil, and cured for 14 days. To investigate and understand the influence of different fibre types and contents, three different percentages of fibre content were adopted. The results of unconfined compression tests on 90 cylindrical samples of cement-treated clay with varied cement and fibre contents are analysed to discern the relationships between these parameters and the key mechanical properties, including unconfined compressive strength and stiffness of treated soil. Furthermore, indirect tension test results of a further 90 treated soil samples have been used to determine the influence of fibre and cement content on the tensile strength of the treated soil. The fibre reinforcement increases the peak compressive strength. The a...
Numerical Assessment of Fibre Inclusion in a Load Transfer Platform for Pile-Supported Embankments over Soft Soil
This study presents the results of a numerical investigation in the performance of natural fibre reinforced load transfer platform (NFRLTP) for pile supported embankment construction over soft soil. A numerical analysis based on finite element method (FEM) was carried out on an NFRLTP pile-supported embankment in a two-dimensional plane strain condition. The effects of natural fibre inclusion in the load transfer platform on the stress transfer mechanism, generation and dissipation of excess pore water pressure have been analyzed and discussed in detail. The findings indicate that natural fibre reinforced soil as a load transfer platform facilitated the load transfer process from the embankment to piles, while decreases the intensity of load transferred to soft soil, the excess pore water pressure and the overall settlement.
Composite monolayer fabrication by an arc-spray process
A single layer (monotape) technique for fabricating complex high-temperature tungsten-fiber-reinforced superalloy composites is proposed. The fabrication of sheets of arc-sprayed monotape 38 cm wide and 122 cm long has been demonstrated. Composites fabricated using the method are shown to have equal tensile strength and a cleaner matrix than composites fabricated from powder metal cloth monotapes, and the present technique is less expensive than the powder metal fabrication techniques.