Plate Load Test on Fiber-Reinforced Soil

Abstract

This technical note discusses the load–settlement response from two steel plate load tests (0.3 m diameter, 25 mm thick) carried out on a thick homogeneous stratum of compacted sandy soil, reinforced with polypropylene fibers, as well as on the same soil without the reinforcement. In addition to the field test program, laboratory triaxial compression tests were performed to determine the static stress–strain response of the compacted sandy soil reinforced with randomly distributed polypropylene fibers. The laboratory test results showed that the reinforcement changed dramatically the stress–strain behavior at very large strains. The strength was found to increase continuously at a constant rate, regardless of the confining pressure applied, not reaching an asymptotic upper limit, even at axial strains as large as 25%. The plate load test on the soil–fiber stratum was performed to relatively high pressures, and gave a noticeable stiffer response than that carried out on the nonreinforced stratum.