Natural Fibre for Geotechnical Applications: Concepts, Achievements and Challenges

Enhancing the use of natural fibre for geotechnical purposes has attracted greater attention in past decade, mainly because tangible benefits that this green approach would bring to our sustainable infrastructure developments. While topic been subjected often sceptical review or discussions, they usually focus on narrow aspects such as soil reinforcement, resulting a lack thorough assessment over different and applications. The current paper hence aims not only provide more balanced between theoretical concepts practical perspectives, but also link functions facilitate design effectiveness. Three major terms practice are identified discussed, i.e., (i) reinforcement; (ii) enhanced drainage consolidation; (iii) filtration, separation erosion controls. In these distinct applications, fibres, despite being used forms geotextiles, drains individual give significant contributions improving structures, stabilization entire system. key unique feature fibres is their ability generate biological bonding with media (i.e., biodegradation associated reinforcement), while substantially tensile strength structure, thus providing larger resistance mud pumping, liquefaction, internal instability erosion. Apart from successful findings applications practice, main challenges currently hampering wider application will be addressed paper.