Experimental study on physical properties of water harvesting surface made of glass fiber reinforced mixture of soil and portland cement

In order to increase the efficiency of water harvesting to develop appropriate materials for water harvesting surfaces is important. In order to determine the strength and permeability of the water harvesting surface made of the new material developed, a series of laboratory experiments were conducted. Cubes of the water harvesting surface made of fiber-glass reinforced mixture of soil and cement were subjected to drying-wetting circles and freezing-thawing circles to determine the dynamical changes of the strength and the permeability of the surface as well as the volumetric swelling and shrinking of the cubes. The changes of the physical properties of the cubes were quantitatively determined. Experimental result showed that saturated surface material had less strength about 26% of that of primary one, which was recovered at the next drying circle. The reduced strength of the surface was recovered to 41% of the primary strength after freezing, thawing and drying, and was enhanced as freezing, thawing drying circle times increasing. Lower swelling rate while wetting and freezing and lower shrinking while drying and thawing were found. Permeability was found to be lower. The material is proved to be good for water harvesting surface.