Zaidi, Lina ， Benamara, Fatima Zohra ， Boukhelf, Fouad ， Bencheikh, Messaouda
2026-02-01 ARABIAN JOURNAL FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2026 51(卷), 4(期), (5213-5227页)
This study investigates the use of plastic waste to enhance the mechanical properties of dune sand, a material considered geotechnically weak. Polypropylene (PP) carpet chips and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flakes-sourced from used carpets and plastic bottles, respectively-were incorporated into dune sand to improve its granular and mechanical characteristics. Laboratory tests including grain size analysis, standard Proctor compaction, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and direct shear were conducted, along with microstructural analyses (XRD, XRF, SEM). PET flakes were also chemically treated with NaOH to improve adhesion with sand grains. The materials were tested in various proportions: PET flakes (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%) and PP chips (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5% and 3%). Results demonstrate that the addition of these plastic wastes significantly improves key geotechnical properties of dune sand, including maximum dry density, shear strength parameters (cohesion and internal friction angle), and CBR values.