Effect of fibre inclusion on dynamic properties of clay

One of the causes of heavy damage due to earthquake motions is the role of soft clay in amplifying bedrock ground motions. Improving the soil conditions using polypropylene fibres at a site in order to mitigate earthquake damage could be one of the methods to modify site conditions. In this study, the optimum fibre contents were obtained for mixtures of clay with two different types of fibre. Then the dynamic properties of polypropylene fibre reinforced clay with different fibre contents were determined using resonant column testing. The study showed that the inclusion of fibre at optimum fibre content can improve the dynamic properties of clay at the low shear strains used. Test results indicated that both the shear modulus and damping increased. Hence, the inclusion of fibre in clay can provide a double benefit for the dynamic response of a site by increasing the stiffness of the site and reducing its amplitude of vibration.