Seepage behavior of soil mixed with randomly distributed recycled plastic materials

Seepage through embankment fill materials is crucial issue in the construction of embankments for irrigation and drainage projects. Proper ground improvement methods should be used to improve the strength and stability characteristics of soil used as fill material. Utilization of waste plastic materials to enhance the engineering properties of soil is a sustainable approach. Additionally, the use of raw products directly from plastic recycling units in the form of flakes and pellets as soil additives has the potential to further enhance the economic benefits of this method. This study randomly mixed plastic materials with soil for use in the construction of earth embankments, such as river levees, dykes, and canal diversion structures, and evaluated the effectiveness of these materials in reducing seepage failures in hydraulic structures. To achieve these goals, this study collected high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic from plastic recycling units and used soil mixed with HDPE plastic in the form of flakes and pellets in different contents as embankment fill materials, then evaluated how these materials affected the piping features. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the seepage velocity and critical hydraulic gradient of soil mixed with plastics in various contents and to compare the values with those of plain soil. The results showed that random distribution of waste plastics in the form of flakes and pellets in soil is an effective method for improving the piping resistance of soil.