Mechanical Stabilization of Granular Soils with Chicken Feather Fiber Waste

Taking into account that 26 billion chickens were produced worldwide in 2021, a total of 2.6 million tons of chicken feather waste is generated for consumed chickens. Methods such as burning and burying are commonly utilized for the disposal of chicken feather waste, especially burning pollutes the environment. Recently, it has been shown that organic fibers can be used as an alternative to synthetic fibers for soil improvement by reinforcing them. This study examined the usability of chicken feathers as an alternative to organic fibers. In this context, chicken feathers obtained from chicken production facilities were processed and chicken feather fibers were obtained. The sand soil reinforced with 0.2% and 0.4% fibers were tested in a direct shear test apparatus. The data obtained indicated an increase in peak shear strength values in the range of 16-25% and residual shear strength values in the range of 23.5-34.6%. The highest strength values were obtained with 0.2% reinforcement. According to findings, it was found that the soil has a saturation point in chicken feather fiber reinforcement and the amounts of fiber on it are of no benefit. In summary, chicken feathers that need to be discarded can be used as a promising soil stabilization method. Considering all these advantages, chicken feather fibers can be considered a favorable alternative for soil stabilization in terms of their contribution to both the economy and nature.