Influence of waste textile on the unconfined compressive strength of cohesive soil

The increasing need for sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions in geotechnical engineering has prompted significant interest in utilizing waste materials for soil improvement. This study explores the utilize of waste denim fabric as a reinforcement material for clayey silt soil, aiming to enhance soil properties while contributing to the recycling of textile waste. Waste denim was prepared in three aspect ratios (A1: 6×6 mm, A2: 6×12 mm, and A4: 6×24 mm) and incorporated to the soil in different ratios based on dry weight (0.4%, 0.8%, and 1.6%). Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests were conducted to analyze the effects of denim reinforcement on stress-strain behavior, UCS value, elastic modulus, UCS increase ratio, deformability index, and normalized energy absorption capacity. The results demonstrated a significant enhancement in the mechanical properties of the reinforced soil compared to the unreinforced soil. The UCS increased notably with denim reinforcement, with the highest strength achieved by A4-sized fabric at 1.6% and 0.4% reinforcement rates, yielding approximately 41.67% and 40.91% increases, respectively. Furthermore, the energy absorption index showed the most substantial improvement with A4-sized fabric, reaching a normalized value of 1.4, highlighting its superior ability to dissipate energy under loading. Additionally, the elastic modulus, representing soil stiffness, increased with denim reinforcement, particularly with 0.4% A4 fabric, which achieved the highest value among all configurations. The study concludes that waste denim fabric is a viable, sustainable material for soil improvement, offering an eco-friendly alternative to traditional soil stabilization methods.