Effect of Flax By-Products on the Mechanical and Cracking Behaviors of Expansive Soil

Expansive soils, prone to significant volume changes with moisture fluctuations, challenge engineering infrastructure due to their swelling and shrinking. Traditional stabilization methods, including mechanical and chemical treatments, often have high material and environmental costs. This study explores fibrous by-products of flax processing, a sustainable alternative, for reinforcing expansive clay soil. Derived from the Linum usitatissimum plant, flax fibers offer favorable mechanical properties and environmental benefits. The research evaluates the impact of flax tow (FT) reinforcement on enhancing soil strength and reducing cracking. The results reveal that incorporating up to 0.6% randomly distributed FTs, consisting of technical flax fibers and shives, significantly improves soil properties. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) increased by 29%, with 0.6% FT content, reaching 525 kPa, compared to unreinforced soil and further flax tow additions, which led to a decrease in UCS. This reduction is attributed to diminished soil-fiber interactions and increased fiber clustering. Additionally, flax tows effectively reduce soil cracking. The crack length density (CLD) decreased by 6% with 0.4% FTs, and higher concentrations led to increased cracking. The crack index factor (CIF) decreased by 71% with 0.4% flax tows but increased with higher FT concentrations. Flax tows enhance soil strength and reduce cracking while maintaining economic and environmental efficiency, offering a viable solution for stabilizing expansive clays in geotechnical applications.