Impact of Varying Environmental Conditions on the California Bearing Ratio of Jute Fiber Reinforced Black Cotton Soil

This study investigates the influence of various environmental conditions on the strength characteristics of jute fiber-reinforced black cotton soil through systematic laboratory experimentation. Black cotton soil samples were reinforced with randomly distributed 35-mm jute fibers at varying percentages (0-1.25%) and subjected to different environmental conditioning including alternate wetting-drying cycles, acid exposure, leachate contamination, and freeze-thaw cycles. The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test was conducted following IS 2720 (Part 16)-1987 standards to evaluate strength improvements and environmental degradation effects. Results demonstrate that 1% jute fiber content provides optimal soil improvement with soaked CBR increasing from 1.71% to 8.59% (402.3% improvement). Environmental conditioning revealed varying degrees of degradation, with freeze-thaw cycles showing minimal impact (2% degradation) while acid exposure caused maximum deterioration (54.6% degradation) after 28 days. The study establishes that jute fiber reinforcement significantly improves soil engineering properties while highlighting the importance of environmental considerations in long-term design applications.