Introduction

Plastic is an organic polymer material which is mainly composed of carbon and hydrogen. The material is
able to resist degeneration in a high rate. Plastic materials can be decomposed in landfills by 1000 years
but the normal plastic bag takes 10 – 1000 years meanwhile the plastic bottle have 450 to 700 years to
decompose. The plastic that are recycled is only 9% and others ends up incinerated or being dump in
land fills. The composition of plastic makes it a strong candidate for use in soil stabilization. For many
years the materials that we used for soil stabilization includes lime, cement kiln and fly-ash which can be
expensive as the time goes on. The used of plastic bottles in soil stabilization may answer the economical
problem of construction industry of the Philippines. Soil stabilization is a way to improve the soil
properties by adding a suitable substance or stabilizers to the soil. The importance of soil stabilization in
road building is great by having the right amount of strength to counter the erosion of the road because of
unstable soil. The properties of PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate) may improve the strength of the
subgrade for road building as well as more stable base. (Anupoju, S. (2019, March 07). Difficulties in Soil
Stabilization for Road Construction.)

Scope and Delimitation

The study will be focusing on the effect of the plastic on the physical properties of soil and its load bearing
capacity. The researchers will establish a cause and effect relationship between varying amounts of
plastic, starting from 0% up to 1.25% in 0.25% increments, and the load-bearing capacity of soil, which is
indicated by its California bearing ratio (CBR) value. The researchers will only use plastic bottles made of
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for soil reinforcement. They will be collected from various sources, such
as waste containers at school, or bought from junk shops or people who are collecting plastic bottles for a
living. The researchers may also collect spare plastic bottles at home. 10 kg of disturbed sample of clay
soil , loam soil and silt soil will be collected from a vacant lot in different places away from each other
under a sunny weather. More will be collected if it is not enough.

Significance of the study

The goal of the study is to figure a more economical method of soil stabilization by providing different soil
data about the feasibleness of plastic as a soil stabilizer. The significant endeavor of the study is to
promote the use of improperly disposed of plastic waste in the surrounding for the improvement of the
subgrade in the construction of roads and other facilities, the study's outcome will be beneficial to the
construction firms specializing in road constructions and in buildings, because it will encourage them to
use plastic as alternative to more popular and less costly soil stabilizer and, hence, will reduce
construction costs.

Statement of the problem

These are the following identified problems in this study
 What is the type of soil that most increase its load bearing capacity?
 What is the best mix pf plastic and soil that can maximize its load bearing capacity?
 Can plastic increase the load bearing capacity of a soil compared to other soil stabilizers?

Objectives
These are the following objectives of the study
 To investigate the type of soil most compatible to plastics as the increasing the load bearing
capacity
 To investigate the effects of plastic on the load bearing capacity
 To formulate the most favorable soil and plastic mix

Our research may benefit the following:

CONSTRUCTIONS COMPANIES. This study will encourage construction firms to use plastic as an
alternative to more pricey soil stabilizers.
ENGINEERING STUDENTS. This research may give students idea of h ow important soil stabilization in
buildings, road constructions and other facilities.
FUTURE RESEARCHERS. This research will be useful reference for future researchers who would plan
to make similar studies.
Conceptual Framework

• I. Problem Analysis
• Stabilization of clay soil for road works
• Long term anti-soil/road erosion solution
• II. Materials
• Plastics Bottles
Input • Soil(Clay)

•I. Preparation of Materials

•Materials Gathering(Plastic Bottles and Soil)
•II. Testing
•Free Swell Index Test
•Sieve Analysis

Process •CBR Test

•Proctor Compaction Test

•I. Results
•Free Swell Index
•Classsification of Soil
•Optimum Moisture Content and Maximum Dry Density
Output •CBR Value

The researchers think of a possibility to stabilize a clay soil. The process which the materials will undergo
is much simpler. Before we mix the materials (Soil and Plastic). We would cut the plastic bottles into a tiny
strip so it can be mixed thoroughly into the soil. After that we test the soil mixed with plastic strips for
bearing capacity using the following tests. We Identify the soil before proceeding to another test like CBR
and Proctor Compaction test. When the following test results are out, we will base our conclusion on the
said results.
Methodology
The type of methodology to conduct this study will be quantitative, because numerical data is the main
basis for making generalizations about the effect of plastic on the load-bearing capacity of soil. Of the four
different approaches to quantitative research, experimental design will be used, because it is the most
appropriate design for demonstrating whether one or more factors cause a change in an outcome. In this
case, using experimental design, they would be able to determine the relationship between plastic and
the load-bearing capacity of soil by manipulating the soil’s plastic content. The study of the viability of
plastic as soil stabilizer of subgrade will be divided into four phases. The researchers will collect more
than 10 kg of disturbed sample of loam soil Plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) will
also be collected.

The second one shall begin in late December, which will involve performing experiments that will focus on
characterizing the soil, because it is very essential to determine the soil’s physical properties first before
subjecting it to further tests. These will include the free swell index test, sieve analysis and Proctor
compaction test. It will take about 2-3 weeks to complete.
The third stage shall begin on early February, focusing on investigating the effect of plastic on soil using
the California bearing ratio (CBR) test. The plastic bottles will be cut into strips of 20-mm length and 4-mm
width and placed in a container. The strips will be mixed with soil in varying percentages: 0%, 0.25%,
0.50%, 0.75%, 1% and 1.25%. All trials will be done in a single day, each with varying amounts of plastic
content.
Lastly, the fourth and final stage will solely focus on analyzing the results that were obtained from the
experiments. The researchers will create visual representations of data and attempt to establish a
plausible cause and effect relationship between plastic and soil. They will determine if plastic influences
the CBR value of soil enough to consider it as good soil stabilizer. Conclusions will be drawn, and facts
will be checked before finalization to ensure reliability.

More than 10 kg of disturbed sample of loam soil will be gathered and equally divided into two groups:
control and experimental. Soil samples from the control group will have no plastic content and will be
used for conducting tests involving soil characterization. On the other hand, soil samples from the
experimental group will be used for conducting California bearing ratio (CBR) tests to determine the CBR
value of soil for varying plastic contents.
Starting in the second phase, the researchers will conduct soil characterization tests on soil samples from
the control group to obtain information about the physical properties of the soil. These tests will include
the free swell index test, sieve analysis and Proctor compaction test.
In the third phase, the researchers will gather all plastic bottles and cut them into strips of 20-mm length
and 4-mm width. A single California bearing ratio (CBR) test will be performed on a soil sample from the
control group to determine the CBR value of soil without plastic content. Next, CBR tests will be carried
out on soil samples from the experimental group. In each test, plastic bottle strips will be mixed with the
soil in different percentages, namely 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1% and 1.25%. The effect of plastic on the
load-bearing capacity of soil will then be analyzed after a series of tests, and conclusions will be drawn
based on the obtained data.
For evaluating the results, the researchers will arrange the data using a specified table. They will then
assess if adding an increasing percentage of plastic bottle strips to the soil increases its load-bearing
capacity, which is specified by its