Mechanical Performance of Gravelly Soil Stabilized with Recycled Polypropylene Fiber and Polyurethane

Gravel soil used as backfill behind rockfall barriers in mountainous roads can extend structural service life and support sustainable resource utilization. However, rainfall-induced erosion may cause soil loss and reduce its buffering capacity. The fibers are short discrete fibers with a length of approximately 12 mm and an average diameter of 32.7 μm, corresponding to an aspect ratio of approximately 367. Reinforcement is achieved through fiber-soil interaction mechanisms, including particle bridging, interfacial friction, and pull-out resistance. The effects of polyurethane and fiber contents on compressive strength, shear strength, and impact resistance were evaluated using response surface methodology. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the microstructural features associated with the reinforcement mechanisms, and engineering-scale model tests were conducted to assess erosion and impact resistance under representative service conditions. The results show that polyurethane and fibers produce significant nonlinear enhancement effects on the mechanical properties of gravel soil, mainly through their individual contributions, whereas their interaction is limited. Multi-objective optimization indicates that the optimal mixture contains 6.8% polyurethane and 0.19% fiber, with prediction errors below 5%. The unconfined compressive strength of the gravelly soil increased from 107.6 kPa to 931.5 kPa, representing a 765.7% increase. Cohesion increased from 23.4 kPa to 83.44 kPa, representing a 256.4% increase. The internal friction angle increased from 43.4° to 61.23°, corresponding to a 41.08% increase. Under 1 h of intense rainfall erosion, the stabilized soil exhibited only slight surface particle detachment and maintained overall integrity. In impact tests, the velocity attenuation rate reached 65.6-71.4%. The proposed material provides a sustainable solution for improving buffer layers in rockfall barriers.