Effect of bamboo fiber on hydrated lime-treated granitic residual soil strength

Abstract Granitic residual soil (GRS) is a common type of soil which makes up about 75 % of Malaysia’s total land area. It plays a significant role in construction project including highway, embankment, slope and foundation. However, the properties of soil could be affected by various deteriorating factors and gradation due to exposure to tropical climate. Currently, there are many of research regarding the use of eco-friendly material for sustainable engineering application includes the use of renewable material such as natural fibers. Natural fiber particularly bamboo due to it tensile strength, stability and durability commonly being explored like others natural plant fibers as an alternative binder in soil stabilization. In this study, the strength properties of treated soil have been carried out by adding designated proportions of bamboo fiber of Gigantochloa scortechinii species into the mixture with dehydrated lime as binding agent. This study was primarily aimed to determine the unconfined strength and shear strength by means of Unconfined Compressive Strength Test and direct shear box test. The treated soil specimens were mixed with bamboo fiber and hydrated lime of various fiber proportions from 0.5 % to 5 % and hydrated lime proportion between 2.5 % to 5 % respectively. The lengths of bamboo fibers were varied from 10 mm to 30 mm. The results revealed that treated GRS shows significant UCS increase of 590 kPa after treatment with 1 % BF of 10 mm length, while shear strength of the treated sample increased to 321 kPa observed under direct shear box test.