GROUND IMPROVEMENT WITH WASTE PLASTIC

G Venkatappa Rao, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India

R.K.Dutta, National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, India
ABSTRACT
The results of conventional drained triaxial compression tests conducted on 100 mm diameter
x 200 mm high specimens of sand with two types of waste plastics are presented in this paper. This
experimental data is utilised to assess the overall influence of such reinforced material on the bearing
capacity improvement of granular trench. It has been concluded that inclusion of waste plastic strips in
sand improves the bearing capacity of granular trench.
Keywords: Triaxial test !aste plastic "and #ranular trench $earing capacity.
1. INTRODUCTION
The amount of wastes has increased year by year and the disposal becomes a serious problem.
%articularly recycling ratio of the plastic wastes in life and industry is low and many of them have been
reclaimed for the reason of unsuitable ones for incineration. It is necessary to utilise the wastes
effectively with technical development in each field.
The estimated municipal solid waste production in India upto the year 2000 was of the order of &'
million tons per year. This figure is most li(ely to touch )* million tons per year by the year 2010 +,-.
The typical percentage of plastic in the municipal solid waste produced in India is 1 .. The best way to
handle waste plastic is to utili/e it for engineering application after shredding in order to conserve the
scarce natural valuable resource li(e sand.
The paper presents the test results of conventional consolidated drained triaxial on sand reinforced
with two types of plastic wastes. The results have been further utilised to assess the influence of such
reinforced material on the bearing capacity improvement of granular trench.
. LITERATURE REVIEW
0any investigators have conducted the studies on fiber1reinforced materials. The results of direct
shear tests performed on sand specimens +2- indicated increased shear strength increased ductility
and reduced post pea( strength loss due to the inclusion of discrete fibers. These results were
supported by a number of researchers. Investigations were also conducted to determine the behaviour
of material properties of fiber1reinforced sands. The failure envelopes for fiber1sand composites were
bilinear +2-. The critical confining stress was a function of surface friction properties of the fibers and
soil. The inclusion of discrete fibers increased both the cohesion and angle of internal friction of the
specimens +3-. The improvement of the engineering properties due to the inclusion of discrete fibers
was determined to be a function of a variety of parameters including fiber type fiber length aspect
ratios fiber content orientation and soil properties. The pea( strength reportedly increased with
increasing fiber content and length up to a limiting amount of each beyond which no additional benefits
were observed +)- +*- +2- and +3-.
4ut pieces of 56%7 waste mil( 8ugs +1- when mixed with sand have shown that there is an
increase in strength 4$9 and secant modulus of sand and friction angle increase was as large as 13
degrees. The laboratory study on soils which are mechanically stabili/ed with short thin plastic strips of
different lengths and contents +&- have shown an enhancement of strength and load bearing capacity.
Thus it is evident that not much wor( has been reported on the sand reinforced with waste plastic
for its application to granular trench problems.
!. E"PERIMENTAL PROGRAMME
!.1 Pa#a$ete#% Va#&e'
To investigate the effects of test parameters on the mechanical behaviour of unreinforced sand and
reinforced sand a total of )* triaxial compression tests were performed. The test parameters included:
four confining pressures :&,.) (%a to 22* (%a; 2 types waste plastic strips with percentage varying
from 0.0) . to 0.1) . for Type I and 0.2) . to 2 . for Type II 2 types of strips and two different
lengths of strip.
!. Te%t Mate#&a(%
!..1 San'
The investigation was carried out on locally available $adarpur sand which is medium grained uniform
<uarry sand having sub1angular particles of weathered <uart/ite. It had a specific gravity of 2.**
maximum particle si/e of 1.20 mm minimum particle si/e of 0.02 mm mean particle diameter :6)0; of
0.,2 mm coefficient of uniformity :4u; of 2.11 and coefficient of curvature :4c; of 0.'*. 0inimum and
maximum void ratios were 0.)* and 1.12 while the corresponding dry unit weights were 1*.20 (=>m
&
and 12.&0 (=>m
&
respectively. The sand was classified as "%1"!.
!.. Wa%te p(a%t&) %t#&p%
The reinforcement consisted of two types of plastic waste. ?or the first one :designated as Type I;
used plastic carry bags of @6%7 having a mass per unit area of &0 gsm and a thic(ness of 0.0) mm
were chosen. ?rom these 12 mm wide strips were cut. ?urther these strips were cut into pieces of 2,
mm and 12 mm length. The resulting strips of si/e 2, mm x 12 mm are designated as Type I A and 12
mm x 12 mm strips are designated as Type I $. The second material studied was used pac(aging
strips made of 56%7 :designated as Type II; having a width of 12 mm and a thic(ness of 0.,) mm
and a mass of &.3 g >m. These were cut into lengths of 2, mm :designated as Type II A and 12 mm
:designated as Type II $ ; lengths. Type I strips :with a width of 12 mm; had an ultimate tensile
strength of 0.011 (= and the percent elongation at failure was 20. The ultimate tensile strength of
Type II :with a width of 12 mm; strip was 0.&2 (= and percent elongation at failure was 2). It may be
noted that 1 . of Type II A inclusions resulted in 230 strips whereas 0.1) . of Type I A contained 22*
strips. This is attributed to difference in their thic(ness.
!.! E*pe#&$enta( P#o)e'u#e
A standard triaxial apparatus was used for testing sand with and without plastic strips. The specimen
was of 100 mm diameter and 200 mm high. A standard procedure +2- for preparing and testing
samples for saturated cohesionless soil as recommended was adopted. The re<uired percentage of
the plastic strips were first uniformly mixed with the sand in dry condition. The sand was then soa(ed.
The sand was then deposited in layers into the rubber membrane inside a split mould former. The
samples were compacted in three layers through tamping with a rubber tamper consisting of a circular
dis( attached to a aluminium rod. 7ach sand layer was given the re<uired number blows with the
rubber tamper to achieve the re<uired density. The density of sand specimen with Type I and Type II
strips was maintained at 1).030.13 (=>m
&
and 1,.330.,2 (=>m
&
respectively for different samples.
4onventional consolidated drained triaxial tests were then conducted at a deformation rate of 1.01*
mm>min.
!.+ Re%u(t%
The summary of the typical triaxial test results on sand with strip Type I and Type II are presented in
Tables 1 to ).
Table 1 Balues of ma8or principal stress at failure
Type of
inclusion
.
strip
:1;f at different confining pressures : (%a;
A $
&,.) *' 1&3 22* &,.) *' 1&3 22*
0 1&).01 &2'.* ),3.*, 1121.0& 1&).01 &2'.* ),3.*, 1121.0&
Type I 0.0) 201.)2 &32.)1 )''.'2 12').3' 13,.22 &23.&3 )'&.01 123).',
0.10 20).&' ,03.0, *11.' 1&1&.*& 132.2& ,0,.,' *02.31 1&00.0'
0.1) 210.,* ,22.&) *2*.22 1&&*.22 1'1.1) ,13.&2 *21.*3 1&1&.&)
Type II 0.2) 1**.&& &3'.&' *1,.2) 12',.,' 1)*.22 &2,.'3 )').)) 12'1.**
0.)0 121.&) ,0'.&2 *,0.*& 1&0'.*3 1)'.') &3*.1) *0'., 12''.&3
1 122.,) ,&&.2 *30.2, 1&21.2) 1*,.2 ,02.01 *23.'3 1&2,.)2
2 131.32 ,,&.03 200.& 1,)).*' 120.33 ,1*.'* *,2.2) 1&22.**
Table 2 "trength parameters for sand with strip Type I A
9ange of
& :(%a;
"trength
parameter
%ercentage inclusion
0 0.0) 0.10 0.1)
C*' c :(%a; 0 0 0 0
:deg.; &3 ,,.2 ,).& ,*.2
*' to 22* c :(%a; 0 2.2 11.) 1,.3
:deg.; &3 &'.* &'.* &'.3

Table & "trength parameters for sand with strip Type I $
9ange of
& :(%a;
"trength
parameter
%ercentage inclusion
0 0.0) 0.10 0.1)
C*' c :(%a; 0 0 0 0
:deg.; &3 ,&.2 ,).1 ,).3
*' to 22* c :(%a; 0 *.0 11.2 1).&
:deg.; &3 &'.* &'., &'.&
Table , "trength parameters for sand with strip Type II A
9ange of
& :(%a;
"trength
parameter
%ercentage inclusion
0 0.2) 0.)0 1 2
C*' c :(%a; 0 0 0 0 0
:deg.; &3 ,,., ,).) ,*.2 ,2.1
*'
to 22*
c :(%a; 0 10.) 1*.3 1'.3 1&.)
:deg.; &3 &'., &'.2 ,0.1 ,1.3
Table ) "trength parameters for sand with strip Type II $
9ange of
& :(%a;
"trength
parameter
%ercentage inclusion
0 0.2) 0.)0 1 2
C*' c :(%a; 0 0 0 0 0
:deg.; &3 ,&.2 ,,.& ,).2 ,).'
*' to 22* c :(%a; 0 ,.' 3., 11., 10.,
:deg.; &3 &'.3 &'.* &'.' ,0.3
!. APPLICATION TO GRANULAR TRENCH
An analysis has been carried out to understand the changes brought out in ultimate bearing capacity
of a footing on granular trench :?ig. 1; when the waste plastic strips are introduced into the trench
materials following the procedure +'- developed.
?ig. 1 #ranular trench with and without waste plastic strips
?or this the wea( clay deposit has been assumed to possess cohesion :42; of 20 (%a. The values
of 49 of reinforced material for granular trench :41 is replaced by 49 of reinforced material; adopted
herein are based on pseudo1cohesion concept suggested +10-. In this study the values of 49 have
been extracted from the results of triaxial tests conducted on the corresponding material. The footing
is placed at a depth :6f; of 1.0 m below ground level and rests directly on granular trench. The
granular trench width :A; is so varied as to obtain A>$ ratios from 0., to 2.0 in steps of 0.,. The unit
weight of clay is 1).20 (=>m
&
.
The typical variations of $49 :ratio of ultimate bearing capacity of clay with sand in the granular
trench to the ultimate bearing capacity of clay with sand reinforced with waste plastic strips in the
granular trench; with A>$ ratio for $D 1.0 m are illustrated in ?igs. 2 E & for sand with strip Type I and
Type II respectively. A study of these figures reveal the following.
1. The values of $49 increase with increase in A>$ in a bilinear manner.
2. The values of $49 increase with increase in strip percentage.
&. The values of $49 also increase with the increase in the length of reinforcing strips i.e. they are
higher for Type I A and II A strips than Type I $ and II $ strips. This is as expected.
,. In ?igure & at 0.)0 . of Type II A and 2 . of Type II $ the $49 values are comparable.
?ig. 2 Bariation of $49 with A>$ ratio for sand with strip Type I.
?ig. & Bariation of $49 with A>$ ratio for sand with strip Type II.
+.1 Co$pa#&%on
The $49 values computed for sand in the granular trench reinforced with strip Type I and Type II in
the present study are compared and the results are shown in ?ig. ,. A study of ?ig. , indicate that:
1. !ith 2 . Type II A inclusions the $49 values are the maximum followed by 1 . Type II A strip.
5owever the $49 values are comparable when 2 . Type II $ 0.) . Type II A and 0.1) . Type I
A strips were added to the sand.
2. ?rom ?ig. , it can also be seen that with 0.1) . Type I $ strip the $49 values are more than
those of 1.0 . of Type II $ strip when added to the sand. "imilarly for 0.10 . Type I A and 0.10 .
Type I $ the $49 values are more than those of 0.2) . Type II A and 0.)0 . Type II $ strips
when added to sand.
&. ?urther when 0.0) . Type I A and 0.0) . Type I $ strips are added to the sand the $49 values
are more than when 0.2) . of Type II $ strips are added to the sand.
?ig. , 4omparison of $49 with A>$ ratio for sand with strip Type I and Type II.
+. E,,e)t o, -oot&n. W&'t/
5erein an analysis has been carried out to understand the effect of footing width on the $49 values.
?or this the values of footing width :$; were ta(en as 1.0 m 1.) m and 2.0 m. The typical variation of
$49 with footing width for different A>$ ratios for sand in the granular trench reinforced with 0.1)
.Type I A and 2 . Type II A strips are presented in ?ig. ). A study of ?ig. ) reveals that there is
marginal decrease in the $49 with the increase in footing width. This trend is observed at all A>$
ratios. "imilar study is conducted for the other cases also.
?ig. ) Bariation of $49 with footing width for different A>$ ratios.
+.! Co$pa#&%on 0&t/ Geo.#&' M&)#o Me%/ Re&n,o#)e' San'
The $49 values computed for sand reinforced with 0.1) . Type I A and 2 . Type II A strips in the
present study are compared with the $49 values reported +11- on stone dust reinforced with 0.22 .
geogrid micro mesh :#00; for $ D 1.0 m for different A>$ ratios. The si/es of #00 used by them
were &0 mm F &0 mm and )0 mm F )0 mm. The typical variation of $49 with A>$ ratio is shown in ?ig.
*. A study of this figure indicate that:
1. The $49 values are comparable when 2 . Type II A strips and 0.22 . #00 were added to the
sand.
2. The $49 values are sufficiently low when 0.1) . Type I A strips were added to sand.
?ig. * Bariation of $49 with A>$ ratio for 0.22 . #00 0.1) . Type I A and 2 . Type II A strips.
1. CONCLUSIONS
Gn the basis of the results and analysis presented in this paper it can be concluded that sand1waste
plastic mixtures improve the bearing capacity of granular trench and conse<uently the bearing
capacity ratios for all cases. 5ow ever it may be noted that the analysis carried out herein is only
indicative of the possible improvements as the actual improvement depends on the choice of correct
reinforced soil parameters and the dimensions and depth of foundation>trench.
NOTATIONS
H Angle of shearing resistance
cH 4ohesion
1f 0a8or principal stress at failure
& 0inor principal stress
$49 $earing capacity ratio
49 %seudo1cohesion of reinforced sand
42 4ohesion of clay
A !idth of granular trench
$ !idth of the footing
6f 6epth of foundation below ground level.
#00 #eogrid micro mesh
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