Permeabilidade de misturas de solo argiloso e fibras de polipropileno

Abstract

Using fibers as soil reinforcement is a technique based on composite materials technology, where it seeks to create a new material with specific properties and characteristics through the combination of two or more materials already known. These materials are a good alternative to solve geotechnical problems, as they use to increase soil resistance compared to the natural condition. However, in the field of study there are just few surveys that investigate the conduct of permeability by soil reinforcement with fibers, in attention to their use as waterproof layers that cover waste landfills. Thus, this research seeks to evaluate the influence on the permeability presented by the insertion of polypropylene fibers (content of 0.5 and 1.0% from the dry material weight) of 6mm in length and 18µm in diameter. The experiment consisted of tests such as geotechnical characterization of soil, compaction measuring and saturated permeability on the soil and on the composite tests, in order to verify if there are significant changes in soil permeability with the inclusion of polypropylene fibers, with a view to future applications in waterproofing layers of waste landfill covers. A global analysis of the experiment results indicated the classification of the soil as clayey, and from the compaction tests it was possible to see, through the compaction curvatures, a soft reduction in the maximum dry apparent specific mass and an increase in the optimal moisture with the rate increasing of fiber of polypropylene in the mixture. As for the permeability of the clayey soil and the soil and fyber mixed, it was possible to check that there is a proportion of the increase in permeability with the increase in fiber contents. However, this general increase was not significant enough to change the permeability’s magnitude value.