Indian Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Improvement
Year : 2018, Volume : 7, Issue : 1
First page : ( 28) Last page : ( 34)
Print ISSN : 2277-5625. Online ISSN : 2277-5633.

Use of Coir Fibre in Stone Matrix Asphalt for Pavement Construction

Salini U., Sreedevi B.G., Remjish R.S., Anoop T.V.

National Transportation Planning and Research Centre, India

Online published on 13 February, 2018.

Abstract

In the construction of Stone matrix asphalt (SMA), stabilizers are being used to prevent drain-down. Conventionally synthetic fibres are being used as stabilizers. But in a country like India where these fibres are not manufactured, the construction of SMA using synthetic fibres may not be economical. A lot of natural fibres are available in India and they can be used as an alternative to synthetic fibres. The present study attempts to study the effect of naturally and locally available coir fibre as a stabilizer in SMA. Fibre content was taken as 0.3% and 0.4% while the length of the coir fibre was taken as 2 mm. The mix design was carried out by Marshall Method to obtain the optimum binder content for each mix. For the design mix, performance was evaluated by conducting drain-down test, indirect tensile strength test, moisture susceptibility test and wheel rut test. The results of the study indicate that coir fibre is a suitable replacement for the synthetic fibre in SMA as it reduced the drain-down by 64%, increased the tensile strength by 56%, reduced the rut depth by 24% and also reduced the moisture susceptibility, thereby improving the life of the mix. Also the cost of the coir fibre is very low, making the construction of pavements economical.

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