International Seminar On Infrastructure Development 2016

(ISID 2016)Makassar, Indonesia, September 22, 2016

MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR OF CLAY STABILIZE BY FLY ASH WITH

NATURAL FIBER REINFORCEMENT AS LANDFILL COVER LAYER
Sukiman Nurdin 1, L. Samang 2 , Johannes Patanduk 3 and Tri Harianto 4

ABSTRACT: The use of clay liners as a landfill cover system is alternative materials that are widely used in almost all
the existing landfill system in Indonesia and in the world. Instead of the relatively low cost of procurement is also
available in almost all regions in Indonesia. However, alternative reliable landfills has not been much discussed and
researched. There were a lot of experimental research on strengthening soft soil by using chemical additive and
synthetic fibers. A previous study showed that the addition of fiber in the soils can reduce cracking intensity of soils,
but did not improve mechanical behaviour of the soils. Futhermore, The use fo chemical additive such as fly ash can
improve mechanical behaviour of soft soils. The Objective of this research is to investigate the performance of soft
soils as cover barrier landfill stabilized by fly ash and strengthening by natural fiber (palm oil fiber) to overcome the
dilemma of increased strength behaviour of soft soil at once followed by a decrease in hydraulic conductivity. The
results of this study shows that the performance of soft soils stabilized by fly ash and natural fiber reinforcement (Palm
Oil Fiber) showed an increase greatly of the value of untrained compressive strength (qu), soil density, shear strength,
and the hydraulic conductivity of soils incresae with the content fiber been added. Whoever, the hydraulic conductivity
of soils decrease consistenly when the percentage of fly ash increase. Few sample have values that qualify as landfill
cover layer.

Keywords: fiber, fly ash, soft soils, landfills cover layer, cracks.

INTRODUCTION
Behavior of cracks in clay used as Compacted clay liners is the main problem of the structure of clay. because it
will lead to cracks in the cover layer of landfills. consequently, it will reduce the sealing function of the cover layer
dramatically . From the the engineering views, the landfill cover materials must have sufficient technical properties ,
such as low hydraulic conductivity, sufficient compressive strength , high tensile strength and high flexibility. Drying
process will lead to the behavior of cracks in clay soil will cause the surface of the liquid migrating into landfills
causing increased of liquid and gaseous waste . In the end that the potential of soil and ground water contamination
will increase ( Miler CJ , et al 1998) .
Several researchers have shown that the hydraulic conductivity of the soil that has high intensity cracks, while the
soil strength decreases (Morris PH , Rayhani , et al , 2007). Albrecht and Benson found that the rate of cracks is
affected by the increase in hydraulic conductivity of about 3 times.
Currently there are several possibilities in the use of other materials to improve the performance of the clay as a
hydraulic barrier in landfills. Freitage DR (1986 ), studied the efect of fibers on the strength of the soil residual lime was
compacted by using three different fibers. The results showed that the strength of soils increased by approximately 25 %
and the type of fiber did not give effect significantly towards the strength of the soil .
Recent research has shown that the addition of fiber in the ground can increase the maximum shear strength of the
soil and can reduce the loss of shear strength thereafter. Increased of soil shear strength due to the addition of fiber is
usually measured by the increase of the friction angle and cohesion. Haryanto et al . (2008 ), showed that the intensity
of the cracks is reduced in the presence of fiber. However, compared with the mechanical behavior and strength of the
soil is not significant, current information related to the behavior of fiber-reinforced soil cracked relatively limited.

LANDFILL LINING SYSTEM

Unpermeable layer on the landfill serves to prevent the seepage of leachate that formed in landfills subsoil. Due to
this condition that the layer must be formed on the entire surface of the base and walls of the landfill either. If
available on the spot, thick clay soil ± 50 cm is a good alternative as a unpermeable layer. If this is not possible, it can
be replaced by other synthetic coating with consequent cost is relatively high (Fig. 1).

1
Doctoral Course Student, Civil Engineering Department, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, 90245, INDONESIA
2
Professor, Civil Engineering Department, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, 90245, INDONESIA
3
Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Department, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, 90245, INDONESIA
4
Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Department, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, 90245, INDONESIA

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Fig. 1. Landfill Lining System

Soil stabilization with pozzolan materials or also called stabilization with chemicals. When a binder such as lime,
cement, and fly ash is mixed with soil and water, then the reaction occurs will lead to dissociation of lime (CaO) in the
binder and the formation cementation and gel pozzolanic (calcium silicate hydrate gel (CSH) and calcium aluminate
silicate hydrate gel (KAS): the reaction between the compacted soil with coal fly ash and water can be expressed as
follows :

CaO + H2O→Ca(OH)2 (1)

Ca2 + (OH)2→Ca2+ + 2(OH)- (2)
Ca2+ + 2(OH) + SiO2→CSH (3)
Ca2+ + 2(OH)−+ Al2O3→CASH (4)

Where CSH is calcium silicate hydrate gel and cash are calcium aluminate silicate hydrate gel

Gray and Ohashi (1983 ), studied the mechanism of reinforcement fiber in the dry sand with different types of fibers
using direct shear tests. The fibers are placed in different orientations with respect to certain areas of the slide. The fiber
content , fiber orientation , and modulus fibers are applied to affect the fiber contribution to soil shear strength ( Fig. 2 )
.

Critical Confining Fibre reinforced soil

Stress

Unreinforced soil

Confining Stress
Slip Parallel Failure
Zone Envelope

Fig. 2 Slide the power of fiber-reinforced soil ( Gray and Ohashi , 1983)

DESCRIPTION OF EXSPRIMENTS
Soils used in this study is Kalukubula clay are located in south areas of the city of Palu, while ingredients Fly ash
taken from coal combustion in power plant steam PT . Palu Jaya Power is located in the North of Palu City, where fly
ash is added to the soil mix with a percentage of 5% , 10 % , 15 % and 20 %.

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The fibers used in Experimental Testing Program is is Palm oil fiber (POF) from empty oil palm bunch. Fig. 2.
extracted by retting process. Fiber cut to the required length of 15, 30 and 45 mm to be mixed with the soil mass with a
percentage of 0.4 % , 0.8 % and 1.2 % of the weight of the soils.

Fig. 3 Palm oil fiber

MATERIALS PROPETIES
The soils properties are presented in table 1.

Table 1 Soil properties

Standard
Properties Lempung
Method
Classification ASTM D2487 CL (UCS)
GS ASTM D854 2,68
LL % ASTM D4318 33,48
PL % ASTM D4318 19,51
PI % ASTM D4318 13,97
γd (kN/m3) ASTM D698 1,97
γwet (kN/m3) ASTM D698 2,21
w (%) 14,36
Porosity (n) (%) 42,94
Batas Susut (%) 21,61
Degree Of
47,54
Saturation (%)

The mechanical value of the palm oil fiber is presented in Table 2.

Tabel 2 Mechanical properties of fiber

Mechanical Properties Of Fiber Value
Elongation at break (%) 0,07
Compression of Strength (Mpa) 38,9
Direct Screw Withdrawal (N) 1503
Nail Withdrawal (N) 335
Bending Stress (Mpa) 36,8

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While the table Properties of Fly Ash presented in Table 3 below.

Table 3 Mechanical and chemical value of Fly Ash

Physical Properties and
Chemical Composition of Value
Fly Ash
Specific gravity Gs 0,07
Grain Size USCS 38,9
Moisture content (%) 36,8
Optimal water content
wopt(%)
Dry Density Ɣdry
(gr/cm3)
Chemical Composition (%)
SiO2 37,50
TiO2 1,29
Al2O3 21,56
Fe2O3 6,23
MnO 0,02
MgO 2,95
CaO 12,06
K2O 1,32
Na 2O 0,87
P2O3 0,60
Cr2O3 0,02
SO3 2,04

RESULTS AND DISCUSION

Results of testing that changes in value of Properties of soils due to the addition of fly ash and Palm oil fiber
(POF) that the effect of changes in maximum dry density and optimum moisture content in the soil is shown in Fig. 4
and 5 below .

Fig. 4 Changes of the Max Dry Unit Weight Fig. 5 Changes of the Max Dry Unit Weight
and OMC Vs POF and OMC Vs Fly ash

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From the Fig. 4 above that addition of POF from 0.4 % , 0.8 % and 1.2 % did not give a great influence on
changes in the value of the maximum dry density and optimum moisture content of the soil . The results showed that the
OMC levels tend to decrease with an increase in the percentage of POF. The moisture reduction of consitenly about 5
% on each additional POF. While the dry unit weight oh soils tend to have a little effect on the addition of POF. This is
probably due to the nature of the fiber absorbs water and the value of specific gravity and density of fibers is smaller
than soils.
In Fig. 5 below that the addition of Fly Ash from 5 % , 10 % and 20 % gave a significant influence on changes in
the value of the maximum dry density and OMC levels of the soil . The results showed that the OMC levels tend to
decline, but it does not change greatly with the increase in the percentage of Fly Ash. Except on the condition of 20%
Fly Ash content, the values of OMC increased from 11 % to 13 % or an increase of approximately 18.16 % from the
initial conditions. The increase in maximum dry density average of about 2 % of by adding percentage of he Fly Ash 5
% and 10 %, then tended to decline in the percentage of Fly Ash reach to 20 %, which it decreased by approximately
3 % from the initial conditions. This is due to the nature of flay ash particles that have a high roughness so that the
change in volume is small, and also the pozzolanic reaction in fly ash can increase soil strength over time.
From the graph 4 and 5 it can be concluded that the effect of changing the maximum dry density to the addition of
fly ash and POF in the soils show that fly ash have greater influence on the increase of dry density than by adding
POF. Similarly to the changes of optimum moisture content in the soil . While the changes of dry density of soils on the
composition of a mixture of fly ash and POF aimed at Fig. 6 .

Fig. 6 Changes of Maximum Dry Density & OMC Vs Mix of Fly ash and POF

In Fig. 6 above shows that the addition of fly ash and optimal POF is between 10 % fly ash and 0.4 % POF. When
the percentage of fly ash is added to 20 %, then the dry density tend to decreases, and OMC tend increases.
Conversely when the percentage of POF increased to 0.8 %, the levels of dry density and OMC still stable. Except
When POF increased to 1.2 % showing a decreasing of dry density and rising of OMC. This suggests that the
interaction between the fly ash with water can caused a pozzolanic reaction thus increasing the strength of the soil in the
ideal percentage of fly ash. If the percentage of excess, it can lead to absorption of water in soil pores, thereby reducing
adhesion between soil particles, which can cause a decrease in the strength of the soil .
At the compressive strength testing shown in Fig. 7 and 8, that the effect of adding POF on clay against the value of
the ultimate compressive strength (qu) were more affected than the fly ash.

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Fig. 7 Changes of UCT Strength Vs Fly Ash & POF

Fig. 8 Changes of UCT Strength Vs Mix of POF & Fly Ash

In the higher percentage of POF, the results shows an increase in the ultimate compressive strength of soils
consistently to reach of 85.68 kPa of the initial value about 39.40 kPa. This was increase about 117 % of
compressive strength in the 1.2 % of POF . Compare that with the addition of fly ash is only able to achieve a
compressive strength of soil by 51.89 % of the initial value. Where only an increase of 32 % on the addition of fly ash
percentage of 10 %.
Fig. 8 shows that the mixture of fly ash and POF showed a trend appreciation of the great compressive strength .
Where the compressive strength almost generally reached value above 60 kPa. Where it showed an average increase of
nearly 70 % of the initial value. Only the mixture fly ash with a 20 % has a value of compressive strength below 60 kPa.
These results indicate that the combination of a mixture of fly ash and POF provides the ideal solution to the increase
in the compressive strength of soils . Which in this case the fly ash reacts with soil particle and with water (
cementation process) form to a solid granules that can cause the increase of soil strenght. While the fibers serve to
reinforce the frictional forces between the surface of the fiber and the soil so that the soil is not easily failure.

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In direct shear testing results pictures 9 and 10, showed that the addition of fly ash can rise of friction angle of
soils. and tends to reduce the value of the soils cohesion. It can be concluded that fly ash has increased the number of
coarser particles in the soil due to the pozzolanic reaction with water to form cemented in the soils particles.

Fig. 9. Changes of Friction Angle (Ø) Vs

Fig. 10. Change of Cohesion (c) Vs POF and Fly Ash POF and Fly Ash

While the addition of natural fibers in direct shear tests showed the opposite, the results shows a trend of decrease of
frictionl angle of soils and increase the value of soils cohesion. This is understandable because the interface bonds
between the fibers and soil particles can lead the strength interface bond between soil particles itself, so it can increase
the value of soils cohesion.

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CONCLUSIONS
Based on the research while that has been presented above, it can be concluded that while the value of the
characteristics of soil increases with the addition of natural fiber (Palm oil fiber) and fly ash as a soil reinforcement
materials. Furthermore, it can be concluded that :

1. The addition of natural fiber in the Kalukubula clay will increase the value of the compressive strength of the
soil, but its effect on the dry density is not too significant, actually tend to gain optimum moisture content and
maximum dry density reduces soil.
2. When the addition of fly ash content can icrease soil density and optimum moisture content, thereafter that it
can lead to increase of the compressive strength of the soil.
3. In the direct shear testing that the addition of natural fibers of can improve soil shear strength significantly.
otherwise, the fly ash content did not affected soil shear strengt significantly.

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