Rational Evaluation of Synthetic Fiber Reinforced Frozen Soil

Transport facilities are the backbone of the economy of any country. So, the roads and rail tracks must be capable to perform best. At a high altitude of hilly areas, -250C is common temperature during winter season every year. This freezing temperature deteriorates the soil properties beneath pavement even at premature age. The current research article represents the rational evaluation of stabilized fine-grained soil. Taguchi method was used to design the experiments and a standard L9 orthogonal array (OA) was formed using three factors having three degrees of each supplement. 3%-9% eggshell powder (ESP), 0.05–0.15% polypropylene fiber (PPF), and 2–6% sodium chloride (NaCl) by total dry weight of soil were used to prepare the specimens. Experiments were conducted on both parent and treated soil specimens. Experimental results were used to develop a correlation between unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and mass loss (ML). Results showed an insignificant correlation between strength and durability properties of soil specimens under harsh conditions. But the additives showed a greater resistance against freeze–thaw effect with minimum mass loss in stabilized soil samples. Additives reduced almost 90–98% mass loss after 10 freeze–thaw (FT) cycles. Results obtained from this study might be used for subgrade improvement during pavement construction in cold regions. All the stabilizers used in the current study were non-hazardous so, the research promises an environment-friendly and economic solution to strengthen the soil and durability-related problems occurred in cold regions.