Sample Preparation Technique for Fiber Reinforced Cemented Soils

Soil stabilization refers to the process of changing soil properties to improve strength and durability and the load carrying capacity of the soil. The analysis of reinforced soil for complete understanding of its mechanical behavior requires the preparation of the representative composite specimens. However, obtaining a homogenous and consistent composite specimen is a tedious task. In this paper, the sample preparation of artificially cemented and geosynthetic reinforced cemented soils with controlled initial relative density, void ratio and varying percent of fiber and cement content is described, and example results are presented for a range of soils. 100 mm height and 50 mm diameter samples were prepared for high pressure triaxial testing to determine the mechanical behaviour of artificially cemented and fiber reinforced cemented sands. Several difficulties in the preparation and testing of samples were identified and discussed.