Review of Natural Fiber Application for Sustainable Ground Improvement

Ground modification refers to a variety of processes for enhancing the engineering characteristics of the ground. It works in several soil types, including collapsible, expansive, soft, and mechanically deficient soils. Strips, bars, sheets, membranes, and fibers are examples of reinforcing materials that can help to strengthen the ground. Natural fiber materials, rather than synthetic ones, have recently gained appeal in sustainable geotechnics as a soil reinforcement strategy. Cost, mass availability, and environmental friendliness are all advantages of natural fibers versus synthetic fibers. Natural fibers, on the other hand, differ fundamentally from synthetic fibers, and fiber-reinforced soil’s behavior is influenced by both physical and features. In the present review, the brief history, characterization, and properties of natural fiber material are extensively discussed. Review also attempts to explore the advantage and disadvantage of natural fiber material. The degradation mechanism and the treatment method are also presented. As well as the soil reinforcement application, review on the application of geosynthetic and natural fiber as reinforcement in the foundation bed under different loading conditions is presented. Based on the detailed literature review, this paper lay out identified research gaps and present future direction for research.