Enhancement of Engineering Properties of Clayey Soil by the Addition of Silica Fume and Nylon Fiber

– Civil engineers still face difficulties while building on soft soils in the present world, even despite the quick development of infrastructure projects and improvements in construction technology. The reason for their limited bearing capacity is that they show a significant volumetric change when they come into contact with water. The problem of shear strength in soft clay can be addressed by a variety of stabilization techniques. In this experiment, the optimal moisture content and strength parameters for achieving the maximum dry density of the clay soil were determined by adding varying amounts of nylon fiber and silica fume. The Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) tests have been used to evaluate the strength of natural clay and clay modified with silica fume (10%, 15%, 20%) and Nylon Fiber (3.0%, 4.0%, 5.0%) separately, as well as the combination of all the materials, by varying the amount of Nylon Fiber for each amount of silica fume. The optimal moisture level and maximum dry density were ascertained using a standard proctor test and a small compaction apparatus. The maximum dry density decreases as the silica fume content rises, while the maximum dry density rises as the nylon fiber content rises, according the test results. The clay sample’s maximum strength, when considering the strength parameter, is achieved by adding 3.0% nylon fiber and 15% silica fume.