Experimental investigation into the mechanical behavior of fine-grained soils reinforced with a newly developed branched fiber: a comparative study

The primary objective of this study was to enhance the mechanical properties of soils through the incorporation of fibers. To this end, we introduced and tested a novel branched fiber with a distinctive shape and mechanism of action in the laboratory setting. Unconfined compressive strength and shear strength were measured for both unreinforced and reinforced soil sample, using ordinary and branched fibers. The results clearly indicate a substantial improvement in the compressive and shear strength of the reinforced soil, particularly after a specific percentage of fibers were added. Notably, the improvement was more pronounced when using branched fibers. Furthermore, the cohesion and internal friction angle of the reinforced soil increased by 20% and 28%, respectively, when employing the branched fiber. In addition to experimental testing, an analytical analysis was conducted, leading to the development of an equation that accurately predicts the behavior of the branched reinforced soil under shear loading. This proposed analytical approach demonstrated excellent agreement with the experimental data. In summary, these findings strongly support the conclusion that the novel branched fiber represents a highly effective means of enhancing the mechanical properties of soils, particularly when compared to traditional fibers.