Strength characteristics of randomly distributed coconut coir reinforced lithomargic clay

The Lithomargic Clay is an abundantly available soil type in the high rainfall Konkan belt of South India. The problematic soil loses its strength under wet conditions and tends to flow with the water leading to the formation of cavities and unsettlements. Thus, proving the soil to be highly unstable for heavy construction work and since the construction on this soil is unavoidable, there is an immediate need for detailed investigations to improve its stabilisation. The paper aims to increase the strength parameters of the locally available Lithomargic clay by reinforcing it with randomly distributed untreated coconut coir fibres and then by adding a coating of Cashew Nut Shell Liquid Oil, a commonly used industrial disinfectant, on the fibres to improve its durability. The study focused on the proposal of only locally available material, to provide an economical and efficient solution to the problem. It was observed that with the inclusion of coir fibres, the strength parameters of the soil improved, with the cohesion of the soil increasing by almost five times when reinforced with untreated randomly distributed coir fibres and by six times when a coat of CSNL Oil was applied to the fibres.