An investigation into the effects of lime-stabilization on soil-geosynthetic interface behavior

The use of lime stabilization and geosynthetic reinforcement is a common approach to improve the performance of fine-grained soils in geotechnical applications. However, the impact of this combination on the soil-geosynthetic interaction remains unclear. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the interface efficiency and soil-geosynthetic interaction parameters of lime-stabilized clay (2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% lime content) reinforced with geotextile or geogrid using direct shear tests at various curing times (1, 7, 14, and 28 days). Additionally, machine learning algorithms (Support Vector Machine and Artificial Neural Network) were employed to predict soil shear strength. Findings revealed that lime stabilization significantly increased soil shear strength and interaction parameters, particularly at the optimal lime content (4%). Notably, stabilization improved the performance of soil-geogrid interfaces but had an adverse effect on soil-geotextile interfaces. Furthermore, machine learning algorithms effectively predicted soil shear strength, with sensitivity analysis highlighting lime percentage and geosynthetic type as the most significant influencing factors.