Abstract

Randomly distributed fiber and cement can be used for various purposes. However, no attention has been paid to the use of randomly distributed fiber and cement on seismic wave velocity of sandy soil and the relation between seismic wave velocity and unconfined compressive strength. In addition, there is no previous report on the use of nanosilica particles as a modifier for fiber-reinforced cemented sandy soil. In this study a series of unconfined compression tests and 144 ultrasonic pulse velocity tests have been conducted to explore the effects of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber and nanosilica particles on the mechanical characteristics of cemented sandy soil. Moreover, microstructural properties of cemented sand with nanoparticles have been investigated using scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray diffraction test. Finally, the ultrasonic pulse velocity test for the specimens has been performed in order to estimate the unconfined compression strength of fiber-reinforced cemented sand with nanosilica. The results of this study show that the inclusion of randomly distributed fiber increases the energy absorption capacity. Moreover, the secant modulus of elasticity of a specimen decreased with the increase of fiber content. Based on the results, a correlation between pulse ultrasonic velocity and the unconfined compressive strength at different ages was proposed.