Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology (2024) 11:216–235

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40515-023-00281-7

TECHNICAL PAPER

Effect of Barley Straw Fiber as a Reinforcement

on the Mechanical Behavior of Babolsar Sand

Ali Vafaei1 · Asskar Janalizadeh Choobbasti1 · Reza Younesi Koutenaei1 ·

Amir Vafaei2 · MobinaTaslimi Paein Afrakoti3 · Saman Soleimani Kutanaei4

Accepted: 16 February 2023 / Published online: 22 February 2023

© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
2023

Abstract
The behavior of soil reinforced with barley straw fibers was investigated in the cur-
rent study. Several static triaxial tests were performed to assess the mechanical
behavior of Babolsar sand reinforced with randomly positioned barley straw fibers.
The soil was supplemented with fibers that ranged in length from 6 to 12 mm at
0%, 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9% by dry weight. In static triaxial testing, confining pressures
of 50, 100, and 200 kPa were used. The examination of sand reinforced with barley
straw showed that fibers increased the sand’s shear strength, yield strain, and stiff-
ness. The findings showed that adding fiber increased the soil’s peak strength. How-
ever, this strength improvement was minor for weight percentages of 0.3 and much
larger for weight percentages of 0.6 and 0.9. According to the results, adding fibers
at a weight ratio of 0.9% might increase the soil’s peak strength by as much as 60%.
Additionally, the failure strain was increased with the addition of barley straw fibers
compared to unreinforced soil. It is important to note that the internal friction angle
of unreinforced soil was 43 degrees. This number equated to 51 degrees when 0.9%
fiber was added to the soil.

Keywords Static triaxial test · Babolsar sand · Barley straw fiber · Reinforced sand ·
Mechanical behavior

1 Introduction

Building on weak or soft soil involves very high risk since it is vulnerable to asym-
metric settlements due to insufficient shear strength and excessive compressibility
(Htut et al. 2019; Esker and Buscetin 2022). Increments in bearing capacity, shear
strength, and soil permeability characteristics can be achieved in several ways; one

* Ali Vafaei
[email protected]
Extended author information available on the last page of the article

1Vol:.(1234567890)
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of these methods is to strengthen the soil with discrete fibers dispersed randomly
(Zhang and Russell 2021). The addition of discrete flexible fibers, which mimic the
activity of plant roots, increases the strength and stability of soil layers close to the
ground (Vafaei et al. 2022a). Engineers employ this technique for many geotechnical
engineering tasks including stabilizing thin soil layers, fixing slope failures, harden-
ing the soil surrounding foundations, defending buildings, and improving road foun-
dations (Choobbasti et al. 2015).
The use of natural and synthetic fibers and the addition of discrete elements with
random distribution are physical methods for improving soil performance (Sahin
et al. 2021). The results show that boosting the fiber content mostly enhances the
soil’s shear strength (Kutanaei et al. 2022). Studies have also shown that the strength
and stress-strain properties of reinforced soils with a random distribution of fibers
are influenced by the soil and soil type and by the amount and level of fiber friction
(Vafaei et al. 2022b).
For the construction of stabilized pavement bases, canal linings, and support lay-
ers for shallow foundations, the enhancement of local soils with fibers and cement
offers significant economic and environmental benefits by eliminating the need
for a spoiled area and the need to borrow materials from somewhere else. In ear-
lier studies, the shear strength of synthetically cementing sandy soil was examined
(Choobbasti et al. 2018). According to the literature, cement increases maximum
shear strength and dilatation. Additionally, by raising the confining pressure, soil
cement’s stiff nature is transformed into one that is more flexible (Choobbasti et al.
2015). Materials such as cement sand are simply mixed with fibers at random. Fib-
ers placed at random produce increased isotropic strength (Ghadakpour et al. 2021).
Numerous experts have studied the behavior of reinforced soil in recent years.
Application areas for reinforced soil include creating embankments, strengthening
the substrate, and minimizing cracks brought on by clay soil shrinkage and swelling
(Turk and Nehdi 2021). The use of discrete fibers to improve the engineering prop-
erties of soils is something that many specialists from all around the world are inter-
ested in. To use these strategies in geotechnical work and better understand their
benefits and disadvantages, more research is required. Several researchers performed
numerous triaxial, unconfined, CBR, direct shear, flexural, and tensile strength
experiments on reinforced soil samples. The results of this research demonstrate that
the addition of discrete fibers with a random distribution improves the soil’s strength
properties and changes its behavior from brittle to more flexible (Karimzadeh et al.
2022). The following section includes a few laboratory experiments in this area.
The impact of short polymeric fibers on crack development was examined by Zie-
gler et al. (1998). According to the test results, the fibers were successful in minimiz-
ing the amount of desiccation cracking that developed in clays that were dried. The
presence of fibers improved the clay’s tensile strength and gave it a ductile behavior
that was missing from the samples without fibers. Gray and Ohashi (1983) showed
that discrete fiber reinforcement of soil increased peak shear strength while reducing
the drop-in strength after the peak strength based on the results of direct shear stud-
ies. The number of fibers, their length, and their modulus are factors affecting the
increase in strength. During their examination, they did not notice any stiffening of
the soil-fiber mixture. Gray and Al-Refeai (1986) discovered that discrete fibers with

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random distribution increased ultimate strength but decreased compressive stiffness

at low strains (less than 1%) in triaxial testing on reinforced sand. They also showed
that fiber reinforcement increases the axial strain at failure and generally reduces the
loss of residual strength.
Kumar et al. (2006) looked at the connection between soil particle size and fiber
strength. They found that fiber bonds in finer sands were far stronger than those in
coarser sands, making them less likely to collapse in slippery situations. Further-
more, based on the triaxial experiment and static analysis, Yetimoglu and Salbas
(2003) concluded that the presence of fibers boosts shear strength and decreases the
reduction in residual strength. In direct shear testing, Nataraj and McManis (1997)
found that the polypropylene fibers improved the angle of friction and cohesion and
that the reinforced clay’s shear strength envelope was slightly nonlinear. Addition-
ally, they found that the equivalent friction angle is a little bit larger for low confin-
ing pressures compared to higher confining pressures.
According to these studies, fiber insertion enhances the sand’s maximum shear
strength and results in a more ductile behavior. To investigate the effects of effective
stress (30, 60, 100, and 200 kPa), fiber content (polypropylene), and fiber length on
the mechanical behavior of fiber-reinforced soil, Diambra et al. (2010) used consoli-
dated drained triaxial compression and extension. They concluded that as confining
pressure, fiber content, and length increase and behavior becomes more ductile, the
strain at failure increases. The samples containing 0.3%, 0.6%, and 0.9% of fiber had
relative improvements in internal friction angles of 9%, 18%, and 30%, respectively.
In undrained ring shear experiments, Liu et al. (2011) looked into the static liquefac-
tion resistance of saturated sand reinforced with polypropylene fibers. The findings
demonstrated that the liquefaction potential was greatly decreased by the addition
of fibers. The residual shear strength of the loose sample significantly rises with the
addition of fiber (72%, 100%, 71%, and 70% for 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, and 0.8% of fiber,
respectively).
Gao and Zhao (2013) investigated how fiber orientation impacted the behavior
of fiber-reinforced sand. The findings demonstrated that horizontally oriented fibers
considerably improved the triaxial test’s shear strength characteristics. Shao et al.
(2014) performed a series of ring shear experiments under various normal pressures
to evaluate the shear strength of Mississippi sands reinforced with polypropylene
fiber. They claimed that the inclusion of fiber significantly affected the sand’s shear
strength measurements. Cohesion and the internal friction angle both grew by 700%
and 32%, respectively. On fiber-reinforced cemented soil, Maher and Gray (1990)
conducted static and dynamic triaxial compression and extension investigations.
Fibers enhanced the material’s shear strength and energy absorption, according to
their research. Peak shear strength rises by 100 and 200% for fiber concentrations of
0.2% and 3%, respectively.
Polypropylene (PP) and polyester (PE) fibers’ effects on the mechanical char-
acteristics of soils stabilized with cement were examined by Consoli et al. (2004).
They discovered that while the deviatoric stresses at failure were only marginally
reduced, the addition of polypropylene fiber greatly enhanced the brittle behavior
of cement-stabilized soils. Additionally, the initial stiffness of the samples barely
changed when PE fiber was added. However, it significantly decreased when PP

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fiber was included. Triaxial compression experiments were utilized by Consoli

et al. (2010) to investigate the effects of polypropylene fiber reinforcement on the
mechanical characteristics of sand. Based on fiber concentration, cement content,
and confining stress, they suggested polynomial equations to calculate residual and
peak strength.
In order to develop an empirical equation for the prediction of the mechanical
behavior of polypropylene fiber–reinforced cemented sandy soil, Kutanaei and
Choobbasti (2015) conducted several unconfined compression experiments. Uncon-
fined compression experiments were carried out by Yaghoubi et al. (2018) to exam-
ine the effects of cement and waste tire fiber addition on the mechanical properties
of sand. They discovered that supplementing cemented sand with 3% residual tire
fiber boosted the unconfined compression strength by more than 25%.
Silveria et al. (2022) evaluated the effect of silica and polymer on the mechanical
behavior of a sand matrix reinforced with the aforementioned fibers. Because sisal
fibers offered shear strength capabilities that were superior to those of unreinforced
soil, their study’s results justified the long-term use of sisal fibers in engineering
projects like temporary landfills. Zhou et al. (2022) looked into the liquefaction
resistance of calcareous sands reinforced with polypropylene fibers. The findings
demonstrated that calcareous sands’ liquefaction resistance was raised along with
their deformation and pore pressure accumulation rates by increasing fiber content
and fiber length. When the fiber concentration was greater than 0.8 percent, the like-
lihood of soil liquefaction may also be decreased.
Zhang et al. (2021) investigated the pore water pressure accumulation laws in
sand reinforced with randomly scattered fibers using cyclic triaxial compression
testing. Relative density, the ratio of cyclic stresses, fiber content, and fiber length
were all studied for their impacts. According to the test results, randomly dispersing
fibers throughout the sand effectively delayed the pore water pressure’s growth and
markedly boosted liquefaction resistance. In the work by Vakili et al. (2022), ligno-
sulfonate was used as a binder and polypropylene (PP) fiber as a reinforcing mate-
rial to protect the features of marl soils from the detrimental effects of freeze-thaw
(F-T) cycles. The stress-strain pattern of the samples changed from strain-softening
to hardening behavior as a result while simultaneously enhancing ductility behavior.
This process of weathering is called freeze-thaw. The application of lignosulfonate
and PP fibers at the same time was found to bind soil particles and create interlock-
ing zones around the fiber strands, enhancing particle bonding. The findings of the
Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) experiment also lent credence to the idea that the
lignosulfonate contained in the marl soil and the voids between its mineral layers
were what ultimately led to the creation of ionic connections.
Natural fibers have drawn a lot of interest as reinforcing components because of
their high tensile strength, widespread availability in regions where they are made from
native plants, and advantages to the environment when natural materials are substi-
tuted with synthetic materials (Tang et al. 2012). Annual barley straw plants can reach
heights of 1.5 to 3.5 m. Barley straw stems are 1–2 cm in diameter and have a woody
base. In addition to it, Iran is one of several places in the globe where fiber is grown.
The manufacturing of biodegradable polymers, textiles, paper, building materials, and
biofuels are just a few businesses that use barley straw fibers. Barley straw fiber was

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subjected to a full year of exposure to a natural weathering environment (Akil et al.

2011). The following are the main advantages of using barley straw fibers over other
types of fibers, according to Akil et al. (2011): low cost, low energy use, the strongest
natural fiber available, and biodegradability.
The fact that natural fibers, like barley straw fiber, have gotten relatively little atten-
tion when all of the scenarios presented here are taken into account is noteworthy and
extremely helpful, and as a result, the present paper thoroughly discusses the behavior
of reinforced soil with barley straw fiber. It is crucial to note that this study focuses
especially on various fiber contents. Another interesting feature is that, due to the acces-
sibility and availability of barley straw fibers, a thorough examination of the behavior
of sand reinforced with this sort of fiber is urgently needed. The foundations of build-
ings in the village, for example, can be strengthened because this type of fiber provides
the benefits mentioned above and is less expensive than synthetic fibers.
The main objective of this study is to investigate the effects of reinforcement on
metrics for peak strength, sample stiffness, stress-strain behavior, volumetric behav-
ior, and shear strength. Studies on fiber-reinforced sand have been done thus far, even
though natural fibers and barley straw fiber have received less attention. The mechani-
cal behavior of Babolsar sand reinforced with barley straw fiber is the subject of this
study’s extremely in-depth and broad experimental research. The study’s innovation
and novelty is the evaluation of natural fiber through the execution of very thorough
experimental procedures. To specifically examine the impacts of the expressed param-
eters, notably the volumetric strain for natural fibers like barley straw fiber, a static tri-
axial test was employed in this study.

2 Experimental Program

In this study, several triaxial experiments (CD tests) on Babolsar sand reinforced with
natural fibers were conducted in order to investigate the stress-strain properties and how
different factors affect the behavior of materials. The use of fibers in geotechnical and
transportation engineering can be applied to the five categories of pavement, retain-
ing walls, slope stability, foundations, and earthquake, according to a thorough assess-
ment of this research on reinforced soil. The results of this study’s investigation into
the behavior of sand reinforced with straw barley fiber will be highly helpful to civil-
geotechnical and civil-transportation engineers.
The mechanical behavior of Babolsar sand, when combined with barley straw fibers,
has been studied in numerous consolidated drained triaxial tests utilizing fiber weight
ratios of 0, 0.3, 0, 6, and 0.9 percent and confining pressures of 50, 100, and 200 kPa.

2.1 Materials

2.1.1 Babolsar Sand

Sand from Babolsar was used as the subject of this study’s soil. The mean grain
size (D50) of this sand is 0.22 mm, and it has a specific gravity of 2.78, a curvature

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Fig. 1  Particle size distribution curve of soil

Table 1  Physical characteristics Characteristics Value

of the soil used in this study
𝛾d,min( KN ) 14.92
m3
𝛾d,max( KN ) 17.64
m3
emax 0.81
emin 0.53
Gs 2.78
Cu 2.13
Cc 1.32

coefficient of 1.32, a uniformity coefficient of 2.12, a maximum voids ratio of 0.8,

and a minimum voids ratio of 0.526. It is clean and uniform quarts. Babolsar sand
was categorized as poorly graded sand according to ASTM Unified (SP). The Babol-
sar sand particle distribution curve is shown in Fig. 1 and its physical characteristics
are listed in Table 1.

2.1.2 Barley Straw Fiber

One of the fibers employed for reinforcing is cut barley straw. It is a member of the
grass family, barley straw. Barley straw is widely available and can be farmed in
colder areas as well as in temperate ones. A renewable material called barley straw
is made of cellulose, glucose, lignin, wax, and water. Barley straw has been used for
centuries to remove oil from soil surfaces and to stop the growth of algae. The straw

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utilized in this study was gathered from agricultural fields and is one of the typical
forms of straw in Iran. Straw strands with a length of 6 to 12 mm were selected at
random since the straw used in the studies had variable lengths and it was very dif-
ficult to utilize a certain length. The results of measuring the straw strands’ width
for a sample taken at random from a kilogram of straw indicate that the fibers’ width
falls between 0.4 and 2 mm. The barley straw utilized in this study is seen in Fig. 2.

2.2 Sample Preparation

Fiber is a ductile substance. Ang and Loehr (2003) investigated the size effect and
discovered that there were no size effects for the sample with a diameter of 70 mm
for fibers with lengths of 10, 15, 20, and 52 mm. Consoli et al. (2009) conducted
triaxial studies using a sample diameter of 50 mm and a fiber length of 23 mm with
a ratio of 2.1. Triaxial studies were performed by Malidarreh et al. (2018) using a
sample with a diameter of 38 mm and a fiber length of 15 with a ratio of 2.2. Tri-
axial tests were carried out by Noorzad and Zarinkolaei (2015) using a sample with
a diameter of 38 mm and a fiber length of 18 with a sample length to fiber length
ratio of 2.1. Because fiber-reinforced soil is employed at high densities (pavement,
slope, foundation), all samples were prepared at a constant relative density of 80%
(Choobbasti & Kutanaei 2017). At confining pressures of 50 kPa (which mimicked a
low depth, such as pavement), 100 kPa (which simulated a medium depth, such as a
foundation), and 200 kPa, triaxial tests were conducted (simulating high depth: deep

Fig. 2  Fibers used in this study

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mixing). We examined a pressure range that corresponds to what most geotechnical

structures experience frequently. Actual loading circumstances were used to deter-
mine the confining pressure (Hamidi & Hooresfand 2013).
It should be noted that the percentage of fiber utilized for soil reinforcement in
the majority of earlier experiments ranged around 1%. The homogeneity of the sand
mixture is reduced by the addition of fibers. When fiber is added in large amounts,
mixing is challenging. As a result, by weight of the dry sand, the fiber contents
in this investigation were 0.0%, 0.3%, 0.6%, and 0.9% (Tang et al. 2007). In other
words, a maximum selected percentage of 1% was used, which is a very valuable
and accurate number, according to earlier studies on the percentage of fibers needed
to be mixed with soil. The best potential homogeneity and mixing in the samples
was found in 0.9% of the fibers, according to the findings of the project that was
presented and several experiments that were carried out as part of our research. In
addition, it is worth noting that heterogeneous samples lessen resistance.
Sample preparation is one of the most crucial stages of an experimental study.
The compaction technique was used to create the samples for this experiment fol-
lowing Ladd’s (1978) approach. Due to segregation, dry sand and fiber cannot be
blended. The required amount of sand was first blended with 5% water, and then
hemp fibers were added to make samples of sand reinforced with hemp fiber. The
mixing was carried out with an electric mixer. Since all of the investigations were
performed in a dry state, wet materials were put in an oven to dry. The samples were
carefully poured into a divided mold with a little spoon.
It should be noted that mixing was simpler in sandy soils than in clayey soils. To
do this, soil and water were combined first, and then fibers were added and com-
bined. Due to the absence of cohesion in granular soils, the experiments for this
study were conducted in dry conditions. In the dry state, the fiber did not interact
with the sand and separation occurred during mixing. The initial 5% of the dry
weight of the sand was therefore added to the water and the fibers were then gradu-
ally incorporated into the soil and blended. The reason 5% moisture content was
chosen for the mixing process was that it had the maximum surface tension. The
apparent cohesiveness that resulted from this surface tension led to more sand and
fibers being involved and improved mixing. The mixing took place with a mixer.
The components were thoroughly blended after 15 min of mixing using a mixer.
The weight of soil, water, and fibers was determined as the specimen volume
was determined using the specific dry weight for the soil and similarly the neces-
sary moisture content. Five layers were created from the mixture’s weight and the
weight of each layer was calculated. Organized reinforced specimens had a height
of 104 mm and a diameter of 52 mm. Specific dry-weight specimens that were 80%
of standard density were finished. Each layer’s necessary amount of mixture was
placed into a mold, and each layer’s specimen was then compacted using static com-
paction. On the surface of the first and second layers, grooves up to 10% of the layer
thickness were made to prevent weak plates and ensure proper connecting between
the layers. The samples were then put in an oven set at 105 °C for 24 h before being
evaluated because all experiments in this study were performed in a completely dry
state. Hamidi and Hooresfand proposed this method (2013). At that time, a numeri-
cal caliper was used to precisely measure the sample’s dimensions before the test.

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The average of the specimen was three heights in a location 120 degrees of the spec-
imen height while calculating the specimen’s height, average diameter, and location
of each quarter of the specimen’s diameter. The various stages of specimen prepara-
tion are shown in Fig. 3.

2.3 Test Equipment and Procedure

Figure 4 shows the equipment used in this study to conduct the experiments. HEICO
Company’s triaxial method was used to conduct static, strain-controlled triaxial
tests. A ring-type load cell was used to assess the axial load on the sample. The
actuator and load frame, water/air bladder, distribution panel, IMACS controller, tri-
axial cell, automatic volume change device, and servo reservoir assembly were the
organization’s key components. In this study, a triaxial device had a data control
association installed on it. Sensors delivered all data to the control association. They
were given to the software by the control association as numbers. A displacement
transducer was used to measure the axial displacement with a range of 50 mm, and
the axial load was delivered to the load cell. Up to 1500 kPa and 2000 kPa of pres-
sure were applied to the load cell’s cylinder. A 15 KN load cell was used to control
the axial load. The bladder IMACS controller provided the necessary cell pressure
and also collects data and transducer communication for computer analysis. In this
investigation, several static triaxial tests were performed following ASTM D7181.
With a strain rate of 0.02%, strain-controlled consolidated drained triaxial tests were
performed.

3 Results and Discussion

The CD test results of sandy soil such as peak strength, residual strength, failure
axial strain, strength increase ratio, brittle index, and volumetric strain are acquired
(Table 2). By comparing the peak strength and residual strength to peak strength
ratio, the brittle index assesses the sample’s ductility. The strength increase ratio is

Fig. 3  Procedures for preparing a specimen for an experiment in this study. a Applying a standard per-
cussion instrument to compact a layer of the specimen. b Scratch the layer’s surface Before pouring the
subsequent layer. c Suction-made static specimen

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Fig. 4  Triaxial test apparatus

setup

defined as the peak strength of reinforced specimens divided by the peak strength of
unreinforced specimens.

3.1 Effect of Reinforcement on Stress‑Strain Behavior

Figures 5, 6, 7, show the stress-strain curves of Babolsar’s unreinforced and rein-

forced sand (barley straw). These data show that barley straw fibers, compared to
other fibers like hemp fibers, have a substantially smaller impact on improving soil
strength attributes. This is because barley straw fibers are smaller in diameter and
interact with sand less than hemp filaments do. According to the statistics, adding
fibers causes the soil’s peak strength to increase; however, this strength gain is much
less pronounced for weight percentages of 0.3 than it is for weight percentages of
0.6 and 0.9. These results are in line with the study conducted by Choobbasti et al.
(2019a, b). Their triaxial tests on clay reinforced with carpet fibers showed that the
addition of carpet fibers minimizes the decline in clay strength (resistance drop).

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Table 2  Strength properties and CD test results of reinforced and unreinforced sand
Test no. Weight Confining Failure Peak Residual Strength Brittle Volumet-
ratio of pressure strain deviatoric strength increase index ric strain
fibers (%) (kPa) (%) stress (kPa) ratio (%)
(kPa)

1 0 50 3.6 252.74 173.95 1 0.31 9.8

2 0 100 4 528.19 350.42 1 0.33 8.7
3 0 200 4.2 1130.37 791.79 1 0.29 7.6
4 0.3 50 3.9 257.88 190.83 1.02 0.26 9.8
5 0.3 100 5.2 587.31 395.09 1.01 0.25 10.5
6 0.3 200 5.1 1167.17 770.57 1.11 0.33 7.7
7 0.6 50 3.9 327.25 226.63 1.29 0.32 9.4
8 0.6 100 5.1 665.29 396.84 1.26 0.41 8.2
9 0.6 200 5.2 1244.06 894.23 1.11 0.28 7.1
10 0.9 50 3.9 377.97 229.06 1.51 0.39 9.5
11 0.9 100 4.9 803.07 453.18 1.52 0.43 9.5
12 0.9 200 5.2 1434.19 994.66 1.27 0.31 7.8

Fig. 5  Stress-strain curve of sand (unreinforced and reinforced) at different fiber weight ratios under a
confining pressure of 50 kPa

This can be due to the physical contact between dirt particles and fibers. Due to
the strain at the fiber-soil interface, the soil matrix’s fibers find it difficult to slip,
and they can withstand tensile stress, which eventually increases soil strength and
improves soil behavior. This outcome is consistent with the study performed by
Choobbasti et al. (2019a, b). The stiffness of the reinforced soil is dependent on the
density, confining pressure, and fiber contents as demonstrated by the reinforced
triaxial investigations on drained sand reinforced with PVA fibers that Choobbasti

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Fig. 6  Stress-strain curve of sand (unreinforced and reinforced) at different fiber weight ratios under a
confining pressure of 200 kPa

Fig. 7  Stress-strain curve of sand (0.6% fiber-reinforced) at different confining pressures

et al. (2019a, b) carried out. In addition, compared to unreinforced specimens, rein-

forced barley straw specimens exhibit higher failure strain and stiffness.
In specimens reinforced with straw, the ratio of increasing strength to increas-
ing confining pressure decreases. For instance, the increase in strength of a
reinforced specimen with a weight ratio of 0.6% straw is 1.29 under confining
pressures of 50 kPa and 200 kPa, and it is 1.29 under both of these pressures
(Table 2). These results are consistent with those of the investigation of Kutanaei
and Choobbasti (2016). Kutanaei and Choobbasti (2016) assert that the reduced
interaction between soil and fibers brought on by an increase in confining pressure
restricts the capacity of fibers to increase strength. It has already been determined
that the reason for the diminishing is the ratio of resistance growth to damping
pressure rise. The reason for this is that when confining pressure increases, the

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interaction between the fibers and the sand reduces. At low confining pressures,
sand will interact more with the fibers because it tends to dilate (volume increase)
as a result of shear. These findings are consistent with the research done for the
published paper (Choobbasti et al. 2019a, b; Ghadakpour et al. 2021).

3.2 Effect of Reinforcement on Volumetric Behavior

In this part, the volumetric behavior of reinforced specimens with random fiber
distributions is explored. The research’s conclusions about the samples’ volumet-
ric behavior are presented below. Diagrams illustrating the volume change in axial
strain for sand reinforced with strands of barley straw are shown in Figs. 8 and 9.
This pattern of decreasing volume rises with increasing confining pressure can be
found in practically all samples reinforced with barley straw fibers (see Fig. 8). Fig-
ure 9 clearly shows that the fibers of barley straw have little to no effect on the volu-
metric behavior of sand. Similar results in minimizing sandy soil dilatation due to
the addition of Kenaf fibers were reported by Koutenaei et al. (2021).

3.3 Effect of Reinforcement on Peak Strength

The results show that the peak strengths of reinforced specimens have always
been higher than those of unreinforced specimens. As the weight ratio of barley
straw increases, as shown in Fig. 10, the peak strength rises. For the weight ratio
of 0.3%, this rise is hardly noticeable, but for the weight ratios of 0.6 and 0.9%, it
becomes more substantial. Peak strength increases along with confining pressure,
which nearly seems to be decreasing as it increases. Two essential reinforcement
qualities are tensile strength and contact surface shear strength. Tensile strength
is undoubtedly an essential quality considering that the reinforcer needs to be
able to withstand the tensile pressures that the soil transmits. The most important

Fig. 8  Volumetric strain curve of sand (0.6% fiber-reinforced) at different confining pressures

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Fig. 9  Volumetric strain curve of sand (reinforced and unreinforced) at different fiber weight ratios under
50 kPa confining pressure

Fig. 10  Peak strength curve of sand (reinforced and unreinforced) at different fiber weight ratios and con-
fining pressures

component of the soil and reinforcing mechanism is the shear strength of the
contact surface, which is responsible for transferring stresses from the soil to the
reinforcing. Failure in reinforced soil happens as a result of the reinforcement

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materials gradually failing or slipping within the soil bulk. Ghadakpour et al.
(2020) conducted several experimental tests on cement sand reinforced with
kenaf fiber and found that the addition of hemp fiber boosted compressive and
tensile strength. Fiber tires, however, enhance tensile strength in additional ways
than merely compressive strength. These findings are consistent with the research
conducted and presented in the study (Choobbasti et al. 2019a, b).

3.4 Effect of Reinforcement on Failure Strain

With the addition of straw fibers, the failure strain on bare soil rises. However,
altering the weight ratio of the fibers had no appreciable effect on the fail-
ure strain. Additionally, as confining pressure rises, the failure strain does too
(Table 2). For instance, the failure strain is increased by 24% from the unrein-
forced sand’s 4.2% failure strain to 5.2% at 200 kPa confining pressure and 0.9%
barley straw weight ratio. These findings align with prior studies in the literature
(Ghadakpour et al. 2021).

3.5 Effect of Reinforcement on Residual Strength

Since it is the resistance that soil exhibits after failure, a strain resistance of 15%
is often regarded as residual strength. The strength the soil retains after failure
and deformation increases in direct proportion to how little damage is done to
the building built on it. This is due to a smaller strength decline following the
peak strength. According to the technical manuals, adding fibers to reinforced
soil reduces the loss of strength after peak strength. This behavior illustrates that
the presence of the fibers causes reinforced materials to act more flexibly than
unreinforced samples. This is because fiber stops the samples’ shear bands from
developing. The formation of the shear band in unreinforced sand samples is what
causes the strength loss that happens after the peak strength. Another explanation
for this is that when the specimens are loaded, the fibers act as bridges, increasing
the soil’s strength to high deformation. The samples reinforced with barley straw
fibers show no significant trend in the brittle index. In terms of the fragile index,
there is little distinction between samples with and without barley straw reinforc-
ing. According to Ghadakpour et al. (2019), when PVA fiber content increases,
the pace at which cementitious soil strength drops decreases substantially.

3.6 Effect of Reinforcement on Stiffness

Stiffness is one of the factors affecting soil behavior that controls the rate of defor-
mation and settling under loads. The findings indicate that samples reinforced
with barley straw fibers have higher stiffness. However, this gain in stiffness is
minimal, especially at the weight ratio of 0.3% barley straw, where stiffness has
even been demonstrated to decrease when compared to unreinforced specimens.
According to Kutanaei and Choobbasti (2017), the inclusion of fibers decreased
the tendency of lateral deformations and increased the stiffness of the soil.

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Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology (2024) 11:216–235 231

Table 3  Shear strength Soil Friction angle Cohesion

parameters of reinforced and (FC=fiber content, FL=fiber length) (deg) (kPa)
unreinforced sand
Unreinforced 43 0
Reinforced (FC=0.3%, FL=6–12mm) 44 0
Reinforced (FC=0.6%, FL=6–12 mm) 48 6
Reinforced (FC=0.9%, FL=6–12 mm) 51 9

Fig. 11  Failure envelope of sand (reinforced and unreinforced) at different fiber weight ratios

3.7 Effect of Reinforcement on Failure Envelope

In this section, the failure envelope for discrete fibers with a random distribu-
tion on the soil strength parameters (φ and C) is studied (Table 3, and Fig. 11).
It should be noted that “apparent cohesion” refers to the cohesiveness that results
from the reinforcement of non-cohesive materials. In general, it is obvious how
soil strength characteristics or shear strength are improved by reinforcing the fail-
ure envelope. Results reveal that the strength properties of reinforced sand are
unaffected by the weight ratio of 0.3% barley straw in comparison to unreinforced
sand.
As the weight ratio increases, the barley straw’s strength properties improve.
Koutenaei et al. (2021) showed similar results on soil strength measurements related
to the addition of Kenaf fibers in sandy soils. It is interesting to note that this study
only looked at Babolsar sand and one kind of soil. Different types of soil may be

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used in future projects, and the effect of durability on reinforced soil may also be
studied and examined.
For typical building projects, sand with an internal friction angle of 43 degrees
is a great choice. However, due to the numerous loads that must be applied to the
soil, strengthening and reinforcing the soil with fibers is very practical and essential
while carrying out other tasks like erecting high-rise structures and towers. In real-
ity, the goal of fiber-based soil improvement is not only to boost resistance but also
to balance out residual behavior and make it flexible.

4 Conclusion

In order to evaluate the resistive behavior of Babolsar sand reinforced with randomly
distributed straw barley fibers, numerous static triaxial experiments were conducted
in this study, incorporating 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 percent by dry weight of straw barley
fibers into the soil. Confining pressures of 50, 100, and 200 kPa were used during
static triaxial testing. The results are summarized as follows:
The stress-strain diagrams show that adding barley straw fiber makes the soil
more resilient; however, this improvement in resistance is noticeably less promi-
nent at weight percentages of 0.3 and more pronounced at weight percentages of
0.6 and 0.9. In practically all samples equipped with straw strands, the amount of
developing volume reduces with increasing confining pressure, according to an
analysis of the test data. With increasing strength, barley straw’s weight-to-volume
ratio increases. The maximal strength rises as the confining pressure does. Barley
straw fibers enhance the failure strain in comparison to unreinforced soil. The failure
strain, however, does not significantly change when the weight ratio of the fibers was
changed. With rising confining pressure, the failure strain also rises. The samples
with barley straw fiber reinforcement do not exhibit any discernible trends in the
brittle index. The stress-strain graphs for samples reinforced with fibers from bar-
ley straw show that the sample stiffness increases. The weight ratio of 0.3% barley
straw in contrast to unreinforced sand does not affect the strength characteristics of
reinforced sand. However, the barley straw’s strength characteristics improve as the
weight ratio rises.

Author Contribution Ali Vafaei: writing—original draft; investigation; data curation; visualization; for-
mal analysis.
Asskar Janalizadeh Choobbasti: conceptualization; methodology; formal analysis; supervision; writ-
ing—review and editing; project administration.
Reza Younesi Koutenaei: methodology, data curation.
Amir Vafaei: writing—review and editing; data curation.
MobinaTaslimi Paein Afrakoti: writing—review and editing; data curation.
Saman Soleimani Kutanaei: methodology, resources, data curation, formal analysis.

Data Availability All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the submitted
article.

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Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology (2024) 11:216–235 233

Declarations
Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate Not applicable

Consent for Publication Not applicable

Competing Interests The authors declare no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

Ali Vafaei1 · Asskar Janalizadeh Choobbasti1 · Reza Younesi Koutenaei1 ·

Amir Vafaei2 · MobinaTaslimi Paein Afrakoti3 · Saman Soleimani Kutanaei4
Asskar Janalizadeh Choobbasti
[email protected]
Reza Younesi Koutenaei
[email protected]
MobinaTaslimi Paein Afrakoti
[email protected]
Saman Soleimani Kutanaei
[email protected]
1
Dept. of Civil Engineering, Babol Noshirvani Univ. of Technology, P. O. Box: 484, Babol, Iran
2
Dept. of Civil Engineering, Sharif Univ. of Technology, P. O. Box, Tehran 11155‑4313, Iran
3
Faculty of Civil Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, P. O. Box,
Tehran 15875‑4416, Iran
4
Dept. of Civil Engineering, Islamic Azad Univ., P. O. Box: 678, Ayatollah Amoli Branch, Amol,
Iran

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