As a high-strength, corrosion-resistant synthetic material, polypropylene mesh fiber has shown significant advantages in the field of soil reinforcement in recent years. Its unique mesh structure can enhance the adhesion with soil particles through physical bite and friction, and improve the overall stability of the soil.
In the reinforcement of mountain highway slopes, polypropylene mesh fiber is often used in combination with vegetation coverage. For example, in a highway slope management project in Yunnan, the construction unit added 12mm polypropylene mesh fiber to the soil at a volume ratio of 0.3%, and combined it with a three-dimensional vegetation net to consolidate the soil. Monitoring data showed that the addition of fiber increased the shear strength of the soil by 25%, effectively inhibiting landslides caused by rain erosion. At the same time, the vegetation coverage rate increased from 60% to 85%, forming a protective system that synergizes ecology and engineering.
Soft soil has high water content and high compressibility. Traditional reinforcement methods are costly and have a long construction period. An industrial park in Jiangsu uses a composite foundation technology combining polypropylene mesh fiber and cement mixing piles to lay a fiber mesh in the soil between piles. The test results show that the addition of fiber increases the bearing capacity of the composite foundation by 18%, reduces the settlement by 30%, and improves the construction efficiency by 40% compared with the traditional method, which greatly shortens the construction period.
The stability of the tailings pond is directly related to the safety of the downstream. In the reinforcement project of a gold mine tailings pond in Shandong, the construction unit added polypropylene mesh fiber to the tailings sand at a ratio of 0.5%, and compacted it by vibration to form a fiber-reinforced soil.
After two years of monitoring, the deformation of the dam body was reduced by 55% compared with that before reinforcement. The fiber mesh effectively limited the lateral displacement of the tailings sand and significantly improved the dam body's ability to resist liquefaction.
Gravity retaining walls are prone to cracks or overturning due to soil pressure. In a mountainous retaining wall reinforcement project in Guangxi, the design unit laid polypropylene mesh fiber in layers in the backfill soil behind the wall, and the fiber length matched the height of the retaining wall. The numerical simulation results show that the addition of fiber reduces the horizontal displacement of the retaining wall by 40%, while reducing the pore water pressure of the soil behind the wall and enhancing the anti-sliding stability.
The soil particles in desertified areas are loose and have weak wind erosion resistance. In a sand control project in Inner Mongolia, researchers mixed polypropylene mesh fiber with sand at a mass ratio of 1:1000 and compacted it mechanically to form a fiber-reinforced sand body. Wind tunnel tests show that the addition of fiber increases the starting wind speed of the sand body by 60%, and the sand fixation effect can last for more than 3 years, providing basic conditions for vegetation recovery.
The surrounding rock is prone to relaxation and deformation after tunnel excavation. In a railway tunnel support project in Sichuan, the construction unit added polypropylene mesh fiber to the initial support shotcrete, with a fiber length of 15mm and a dosage of 1.2kg/m³. Monitoring data shows that the addition of fiber reduces the settlement of the tunnel vault by 28%, while reducing the risk of concrete cracking and improving the durability of the support structure.
The anti-seepage layer of the landfill needs to withstand soil pressure and leachate erosion. In a landfill expansion project in Zhejiang, the design unit laid a polypropylene mesh fiber reinforced soil cushion under the anti-seepage geomembrane, and the fiber mesh size was 20mm×20mm. Field tests showed that the addition of fibers increased the tensile strength of the soil cushion by 35%, effectively preventing the tearing of the geomembrane due to uneven settlement.
Through its unique physical reinforcement mechanism, polypropylene mesh fiber has shown significant application value in many fields such as slope protection, soft foundation treatment, and tailings pond reinforcement. Its advantages are convenient construction, controllable costs, environmental friendliness, and flexible adjustment of fiber parameters according to engineering needs. In the future, with the further optimization of material properties and the maturity of construction technology, polypropylene mesh fiber is expected to play a key role in more complex geological conditions and promote the development of soil reinforcement technology in a green and efficient direction.
