Ground improvement using waste fibre

Project Title:

Supervisor(s):

Sam Hashemi

Contact person and email address:

s.hashemi@federation.edu.au, susanga.costa@federation.edu.au

A brief description of the project:

Expansive soils accounts for about 20% of Australia’s land cover creating challenges for geotechnical engineers. Soil stabilisation using additives is one of the most effective methods of ground improvement. Traditional stabilisers such as lime, cement and other chemicals produce good results. However, they can pose environmental threats and be costly. This project aims to investigate the potential of fibre (eg. carpet fibre) and other waste material (eg. paper mill sludge) to stabilise expansive soils. The material suitability and optimal dosage will be determined by undertaking a series of laboratory experiments on compaction, California bearing ratio and unconfined compressive strength. The outcome of the project will introduce a cheaper, environmentally friendly stabilisation option to the construction industry.