Cyclic behavior and liquefaction resistance of sand with partial bagasse replacement

Replacing soil with waste materials offers significant opportunities for advancing geoenvironmental practices in the construction of large-scale geostructures. The present study investigates the viability of utilizing sugarcane bagasse, a massively produced agricultural waste material, as a partial replacement for soil and its potential to control soil liquefaction. Utilization of bagasse in large geostructures not only aids in the management of a significant volume of bagasse but also facilitates the conservation of natural soil resources. Experimental investigations were conducted through a series of isotropically consolidated, stress-controlled, undrained cyclic triaxial tests. Various volumetric proportions of bagasse to sand, extending up to 50:50 (bagasse: sand), were examined to evaluate the performance of the mix under different cyclic loading conditions. The study evaluates the cyclic strength, stiffness degradation, cycle retaining index, etc., for different bagasse sand mixes across the expected cyclic stresses corresponding to Indian seismic zones 3, 4, and 5. Variation of these properties with relative density has also been studied. Results indicate that the bagasse can effectively be utilized as a geomaterial to partially replace the soil in large proportions ranging from 19 % to 41 % without compromising the initial cyclic strength of the natural soil. Notably, at an optimal content of 30 %, the bagasse sand mix exhibits higher resistance to the accumulation of excess pore water pressure, maximizing its liquefaction resistance. Furthermore, the utilization of bagasse as a partial replacement for soil increased the cyclic degradation index within the suggested range of bagasse content.