Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/11681/12760
Title: Contingency airfield construction : mechanical stabilization using monofilament and fibrillated fibers
Authors: Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories
Ahlrich, Randy C.
Tidwell, Lee E.
Keywords: Airfield construction
Airfields
CBR tests
Contingency pavement
Pavements
Fibers
Fiber reinforcement
Fibrillated fibers
Gyratory shear strength
Gyratory testing machine
Mechanical stabilization
Monofilament fibers
Soil stabilization
Clay soils
Sand
Geosynthetics
Publisher: Geotechnical Laboratory (U.S.)
Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.)
Series/Report no.: Technical report (U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station) ; GL-94-2.
Description: Technical Report
Abstract: This report documents a laboratory study that evaluated the effectiveness of mechanically stabilizing low-strength soils with monofilament and fibrillated fibers. The study provides guidance on fiber type, length, and dosage rate to produce stabilize soils for contingency airfield construction. This study included a review of available literature and a two-phase laboratory test program. The basis of this study was to determine the feasibility of using fibers to significantly enhance the strength of low-strength soils. The soil materials used in the laboratory study were a high plasticity clay (CH) and a beach sand (SP). Each soil was tested to determine the optimum moisture content, maximum dry density, soaked and as-molded CBR strengths. The clay and sand materials were then stabilized with monofilament and fibrillated fibers at various lengths and dosages. These stabilized materials were then evaluated with the Corps of Engineers Gyratory Testing Machine to determine gyratory shear strength properties. The stabilized soils that indicated an increase in gyratory shear strength were evaluated with the laboratory CBR procedure to determine the soaked and as-molded CBR strength values. The findings of this study indicated that the monofilament fibers can improve strength values of beach sand and the fibrillated fibers can improve the strength values of a high plasticity clay. This laboratory study also indicated that the CBR test may not evaluate the effectiveness of fiber stabilization.
Rights: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/11681/12760
Appears in Collections:Technical Report

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