Effect of Dispersed Reinforcement on Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity in Stabilized Soil

Abstract

One of the fundamental techniques for road subgrades is soil stabilization. Considering the high emission of carbon dioxide during the production of binders, novel techniques to reduce the binder are being studied. Thus, we investigated dispersed reinforcement in stabilized soils. A study was conducted to determine the ultrasonic pulse velocity in nine mixtures of soil, cement, and polypropylene fibers and then correlate the results with other destructive tests. The results show a decrease in wave velocity in mixes with fiber addition by up to 18.5%. The result is dependent on the curing time and whether the samples were stored in a water tank. Immersion in water increases the obtained results by about 6.3%. Based on the analysis, for mixtures with fibers, boundary velocities of waves above which lower values of modulus of elasticity were obtained were determined. Depending on the mix and the module analyzed, the limits range from 2194 m/s to 2498 m/s.