Strength and Deformation Behavior of Fine-Grained Soils Reinforced with Hair Fibers and Its Application in Pavement Design

Although waste hair fibers are consumed in agricultural and pharmaceutical industries, etc., their use in civil engineering is very limited. Because of fibrous nature, it can be used as reinforcement material in soil for sustainable development, similar to other commercially used fibers in practice. In this study, an effort is made to improve the properties of the Delhi silt and Dhanauri clay using the human hair fiber. All the tests on Delhi silt and Dhanauri clay were performed with optimum fiber content, i.e., 2%. The results indicate that the shear strength, modulus and CBR value of soil reinforced with human hair fibers have increased considerably. And then, the suitability of human hair fibers in pavement engineering is examined by designing both rigid and flexible pavements using improved properties. Results indicate that there is a reduction in thickness of both pavements, which means that there can be saving of cost in major projects, when human hair fiber is used.