EFFECT OF BITUMEN AND COIR FIBREON ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF MARINE CLAYFOR FOUNDATION

Marine clays are characterized by low strength and high compressibility, the design and construction of many coastal and offshore structures in these deposits are confronted with many geotechnical problems. All over the world, the problems of Marine Clay have appeared as cracking and breaking up of pavements, railways and highway embankments, roadways, building embankments, irrigation systems, water lines, canals, and reservoir linings.Soil stabilization has been extensively used for the improvement of these soft marine clays, in enhancing the shear strength and limiting the deformation behaviour.Bitumen is a binding material which is obtained from petroleum by- products. This can be used for pavements in various road construction works. Coir fiber is a degradable material, use of natural fibre for improving soil properties in civil engineering is a result of its low price, local availability, biodegradability and environmentally friendly. Both coir fiber and bitumen are mixed where coir fiber is not degradable. The marine clay stabilization mostly uses chemicals and other types of ashes. Here using the materials bitumen coated with coir fiber material. Keeping in view the research findings outlined above, in the present work, experimentation was carried out to investigate the effect of different additives bitumen and coir fibre in stabilizing the marine clay, thereby, improving the strength, swell characteristics of the marine clay. A systematic methodical process was followed, involving experimentation in the laboratory under controlled conditions.