Assessment of Clayey Soil Properties under the Influence of LDPE Waste

Abstract

The inherent swelling and shrinking tendencies of clayey soil limit its applicability in subgrade construction. To address this issue and contribute to sustainable development, an experiment was conducted to explore the use of powdered LDPE plastic waste for stabilizing clayey soil. Various proportions of LDPE waste powder were added to the soil, revealing that a 4% LDPE waste powder content significantly increased the soil’s strength. Statistical analysis demonstrated a robust correlation between LDPE powder proportion, maximum dry unit weight, ideal moisture content, and unconfined compressive strength of the soil. Remarkably, the soil sample containing plastic waste outperformed the traditional sample, suggesting that integrating plastic waste with clayey soil is an effective strategy to enhance soil quality while concurrently reducing plastic waste through proper disposal. This study highlights a promising approach for sustainable subgrade construction Sand environmental waste management.