Experimental Investigation of the Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Fiber-Reinforced Clay Soil and Development of Predictive Models: Effects of Fiber Length and Fiber Content

This study investigated the mechanical properties of a low-plasticity clay soil reinforced with polypropylene (PP) fiber in various contents (0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15%, and 0.20%) and lengths (6, 12, and 19 mm). The reinforced specimens were subjected to unconsolidated-undrained (UU) triaxial compression tests under three different confining pressures (50, 100, and 200 kPa). The optimum fiber contents in specimens reinforced with 6-, 12-, and 19-mm PP fiber were determined as 0.15%, 0.15%, and 0.20%, respectively. As a result, the highest values regarding deviator stress at failure ( σ dev ), energy absorption capacity (EAC), and shear strength parameters occurred in specimens containing 0.20% PP (19 mm). As a result of the reinforcement process, the most remarkable improvements in the σ dev , cohesion, internal friction angle, and EAC values of the natural soil are 59.95%, 21.80%, 63%, and 34.70%, respectively. Linear and nonlinear relationships between σ dev and fiber length, fiber content, and confining pressure were investigated by multiple linear regression and artificial neural network methods. Equations were generated to predict σ dev of a low-plasticity clay soil reinforced with PP fiber and were made available to geotechnical researchers.