Comparison of Mechanical Properties of Fiber-Reinforced Sand under Triaxial Compression and Direct Shear

This research investigates the behavior of sand reinforced with polypropylene fiber. To do this, 40 direct shear tests and 40 triaxial tests were performed on the coastal beaches of Babolsar, a city in the North of Iran. The effect of parameters such as fiber content, length of fiber and normal or confining pressure on the behavior of Babolsar sand have been studied. In this study, four various fiber contents (0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 percent), three different lengths of fiber (6, 12 and 18 mm) and four normal or confining pressures (50, 100, 200 and 400 kPa) have been employed. The test results show that fiber inclusion has a significant effect on the behavior of sand. In both direct shear and triaxial tests, the addition of fibers improved shear strength parameters (C, '), increased peak shear strength and axial strain at failure, and also limited the amount of post-peak reduction in shear resistance. The comparison of the test results revealed that due to better fiber orientation toward the direction of principal tensile strain in triaxial test as compared to direct shear tests, the fiber efficiency and its effect on soil behavior is much more significant in triaxial specimens