Subgrade Stabilization Using Geogrids & Waste Materials and Its Effect on Pavement Structural Design

Abstract

Subgrade stabilization refers to strengthening and improving the subsoil to provide a stable bed for the road. This is typically done to prevent settlement, cracking, rutting, or other structural problems that can arise through weak soil conditions. To counter these failures and problems, different soil stabilization techniques are used to improve the strength of the subgrade as it is one of the most important factors in the designing of pavement structures. For this purpose, this research work is using Geo-grids and waste materials such as Plastic bottles and Sugarcane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) to enhance the subgrade quality and compare the results in terms of the structural strength and performance while keeping in view the economical factor. KenPave Software is used to analyze the structural performance of the pavement for untreated and stabilized subgrade in terms of fatigue and rutting failures of pavement. Geo-grids, Plastic strips and Bagasse Ash showed a significant increase in CBR value, Shear strength as well as reduce the construction cost of the pavement at optimum 12% of Bagasse Ash, 2.1% Plastic strips and 2-layers Geo-grid. These additives reduced the fatigue cracks and rutting of subgrade almost same