Shear strength response of reinforced pond ash

Reinforced pond ash is a composite material, which can be used as an alternative construction material in the field of geotechnical engineering. To study the shear strength response of reinforced pond ash, a series of unconsolidated undrained (UU) triaxial test has been conducted on both unreinforced and reinforced pond ash. In the present investigation the effects of confining pressure (σ3), number of geotextile layers (N), and types of geotextiles on shear strength response of pond ash are studied. The results demonstrate that normal stress at failure (σ1f) increases with increase in confining pressure. The rate of increase of normal stress at failure (σ1f) is maximum for three layers of reinforcement, while the corresponding percentage increase in σ1f is around (103%), when the number of geotextile layers increases from two layers to three layers of reinforcement. With increase in confining pressure the increment in normal stress at failure, Δσ increases and attains a peak value at a certain confining pressure (threshold value) after that Δσ becomes more or less constant. The threshold value of confining pressure depends on N, dry unit weight (γd) of pond ash, type of geotextile, and also type of pond ash.