Effect of Fiber on the Strength Performance of Echo-Friendly Geopolymer-Sand Matrix

Abstract

Geopolymer (GP) has recently developed as an innovative and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional soil stabilization agents such as lime and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) to minimize its impacts on environmental, which have negative environmental consequences. The addition of fibers to treated soil prevents crack propagation, increasing its strength even further. high calcium class C fly ash (CFA) reacted with 10 M NaOH was employed as a geopolymer (GP) binder in this study to treat weak sand soil. Polypropylene (PP) fibers with a length of 4.5 mm were employed as reinforcement in quantities ranging from 0.3 to 1.5%. The produced specimens were subjected to microstructure and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) testing. The study demonstrated the benefits of fiber inclusion in enhancing the mechanical behavior of the treated weak soil. Superior strength characteristics were observed in GP treated soil mixes with a binder content of 20% and an Activator/Binder (A/B) ratio of 0.4 reinforced with 1.5% PP fibers by weight, indicating that they can be used as a sustainable alternative to traditional binders in deep soil mixing applications.