Improvement of fine soils through the incorporation of recycled is polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers

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One of the most widely used plastics in the world is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The production of consumer packaging made with PET represents 36% of the global demand for plastics, this is the largest segment of demand for plastics. Synthetic textiles are the second largest application for plastics globally. The most produced synthetic fiber is PET fiber (or polyester fiber), currently representing around 60% of the total world fiber production. To mitigate the initial impact of the short useful life of PET, it is proposed to use it as a reinforcement in earthworks; Thus, allowing the use of fiber in large quantities and on a large scale in geotechnical works with long useful life, such as: embankments, cores of earth dams, etc. To observe and evaluate the mechanical behavior of a high plasticity silt soil from the Valley of Mexico which has been reinforced with PET fibers from recycled water bottles, a laboratory program was carried out, varying the fiber content from 0 to 0.7% with respect to the dry weight of the soil. The results allow us to consider the great potential that recycled PET fibers would have as an extensive improvement method for superficial deposits of crackable soft soils, with low resistance and high deformability similar to those studied. In the results, an increase in the resistance of the soil reinforced with PET fibers is observed under static and dynamic load conditions, it was also found that the PET fibers increase the tensile strength significantly in the soil and reduce the potential for cracking.One of the most widely used plastics in the world is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The production of consumer packaging made with PET represents 36% of the global demand for plastics, this is the largest segment of demand for plastics. Synthetic textiles are the second largest application for plastics globally. The most produced synthetic fiber is PET fiber (or polyester fiber), currently representing around 60% of the total world fiber production. To mitigate the initial impact of the short useful life of PET, it is proposed to use it as a reinforcement in earthworks; Thus, allowing the use of fiber in large quantities and on a large scale in geotechnical works with long useful life, such as: embankments, cores of earth dams, etc. To observe and evaluate the mechanical behavior of a high plasticity silt soil from the Valley of Mexico which has been reinforced with PET fibers from recycled water bottles, a laboratory program was carried out, varying the fiber content from 0 to 0.7% with respect to the dry weight of the soil. The results allow us to consider the great potential that recycled PET fibers would have as an extensive improvement method for superficial deposits of crackable soft soils, with low resistance and high deformability similar to those studied. In the results, an increase in the resistance of the soil reinforced with PET fibers is observed under static and dynamic load conditions, it was also found that the PET fibers increase the tensile strength significantly in the soil and reduce the potential for cracking.

9th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics (ICEG2023)

Geosynthetics for the Geoenvironment