Tensile strength behavior of cement-stabilized dredged sediment reinforced by polypropylene fiber

This study evaluated the feasibility of using polypropylene fiber(PF)as reinforcement in improving tensile strength behavior of cement-stabilized dredged sediment(CDS).The effects of cement content,water content,PF content and length on the tensile strength and stress–strain behavioral evolutions were evaluated by conducting splitting tensile strength tests.Furthermore,the micro-mechanisms characterizing the tensile strength behavior inside PF-reinforced CDS(CPFDS)were clarified via analyzing macro failure and microstructure images.The results indicate that the highest tensile strengths of 7,28,60,and 90 d CPFDS were reached at PF contents of 0.6%,1.0%,1.0%,and 1.0%,exhibiting values 5.96%,65.16%,34.10%,and 35.83%higher than those of CDS,respectively.Short,3 mm,PF of showed the best reinforcement efficiency.The CPFDS exhibited obvious tensile strain-hardening characteristic,and also had better ductility than CDS.The mix factor(C_(C)^(a)/C_(w)^(b))and time parameter(q_(t0)(t))of CDS,and the reinforcement index(k_(t-PF))of CPFDS were used to establish the tensile strength prediction models of CDS and CPFDS,considering multiple factors.The PF“bridge effect”and associated cementation-reinforcement coupling actions inside CPFDS were mainly responsible for tensile strength behavior improvement.The key findings contribute to the use of CPFDS as recycled engineering soils.