Behavior of Clayey Soil Using Glass Dust, Brick Dust, and Plastic Fibers as Stabilizing Additives

Medina Ruiz M.D.; Tenazoa Tenorio L.M.; Del Rocio Fernandez Mantilla J.; Garcia Chumacero J.M. · International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/s42947-026-00847-x

Resumen

The rapid expansion of urban areas and the growing demand for transportation infrastructure have increased the scarcity of sites with favorable geotechnical conditions, leading to the frequent use of locally available clay soils with low bearing capacity. In this context, this study evaluates the effectiveness and novelty of stabilizing a clay soil using glass dust (GD), brick dust (BD), and plastic fibers (PF), with particular emphasis on the comparative performance of binary and ternary stabilization systems. An experimental program was carried out using untreated soil as a control and five stabilized mixtures incorporating different proportions of GD, BD, and PF by dry soil weight. The engineering behavior of the mixtures was evaluated through Modified Proctor compaction, soaked California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests. The results show that the incorporation of 15% GD alone significantly improves soil performance, increasing maximum dry density (MDD) and optimum moisture content (OMC) by 10.18% and 3.09%, respectively, while soaked CBR and UCS increase by up to 163.64% and 48.9% relative to the untreated soil. Binary GD–BD mixtures further enhance bearing capacity; however, the most pronounced improvements are achieved with the ternary mixture composed of 10GD:5BD:1PF. This combination yields the highest MDD, with an increase of 13.00%, and the greatest mechanical gains, including CBR increases of 187.9% at 95% MDD and 172.1% at 100% MDD, as well as a 96.6% increase in UCS. These results demonstrate a clear synergistic effect between the granular and pozzolanic contributions of GD and BD and the mechanical reinforcement provided by PF. Overall, the study confirms that the combined use of GD, BD, and PF constitutes a technically effective and environmentally sustainable alternative for upgrading weak clay soils, enabling compliance with the requirements established by the Peruvian Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC), which governs national technical standards for pavement subgrade design and construction. © Chinese Society of Pavement Engineering 2026.

Instituciones: Universidad Señor de Sipán