In the present investigation, the cyclic load deformation behaviour of soil-fly ash layered system is
studied using different intensities of failure load (I = 25%, 50% and 75%) with varying number of cycles (N =
10, 50 and 100). An attempt has been made to establish the use of fly ash as a fill material for embankments of
Highways and Railways and to examine the effect of cyclic loading on the layered samples of soil and fly ash.
The number of cycles, confining pressures and the intensity of loads at which loading unloading has been
performed were varied. The resilient modulus, permanent strain and cyclic strength factor are evaluated from
the test results and compared to show their variation with varying stress levels. The nature of stress-strain
relationship is initially linear for low stress levels and then turns non-linear for high stress levels. The test
results reveal two types of failure mechanisms that demonstrate the dependency of consolidated undrained
shear strength tests of soil-fly ash matrix on the interface characteristics of the layered soils under cyclic
loading conditions. Data trends indicate greater stability of layered samples of soil-fly ash matrix in terms of
failure load (i) at higher number of loading-unloading cycles, performed at lower intensity of deviatoric stress,
and (ii) at lower number of cycles but at higher intensity of deviatoric stress.