Abstract
Scrap tyres are a problematic waste material. As a method for recycling large quantities of rubber from scrap tyres, this paper analyses the use of unbound granular mixtures with varying percentages of rubber particles as sub-ballast in railway lines. Bearing capacity for such mixtures is studied in laboratory and field tests using static and dynamic plate load tests, as well as cyclic triaxial tests. It is found that adding rubber increases permanent and resilient strain and that none of the mixtures suffer plastic creep after 2.5 million cycles. Considering the usual bearing capacity requirements, the optimum rubber content is 2.5% (by weight). This percentage increases resistance to degradation while ensuring sufficient bearing capacity.
Highlights
Scrap tyres are a problematic waste material
Unbound mixtures of mineral aggregates and rubber particles have so far been neglected – apart from a noteworthy experiment that added rubber to ballast [6] and found that a 10% addition of rubber to the ballast layer reduces particle breakage and improves energy dissipation. These experiments show that the use of crumbled scrap tyres in earthworks offers a potential method for disposing of such material and can improve certain properties of the unmixed aggregate
This paper assesses the short and long-term bearing capacity of unbound granular materials mixed with rubber particles from scrap tyres when used as sub-ballast under railway tracks
Summary
As a method for recycling large quantities of rubber from scrap tyres, this paper analyses the use of unbound granular mixtures with varying percentages of rubber particles as sub-ballast in railway lines. Unbound mixtures of mineral aggregates and rubber particles have so far been neglected – apart from a noteworthy experiment that added rubber to ballast [6] and found that a 10% addition of rubber (by volume) to the ballast layer reduces particle breakage and improves energy dissipation These experiments show that the use of crumbled scrap tyres in earthworks offers a potential method for disposing of such material and can improve certain properties of the unmixed aggregate. The scarcity of works devoted to this topic, at least in the context of railways, reveals a lack of knowledge regarding the behaviour of unbound aggregate-rubber mixtures and shows the need for more detailed studies
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