Discussion on ‘Insight into enhancing foundation stability with rubber-soil mixtures: A nanofriction study’

Abstract

Wan and Zaoui (2024) conducted molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) to explore friction dynamics at the rubber-clay interface under the realm of rubber-soil mixtures (RSM). It’s an interesting deviation from the regular RSMs wherein rubber-sand mixtures only have been considered so far. However, it should be noted that the mixing of rubber with clays would result in the creation of heterogeneous mixtures. Furthermore, Wan and Zaoui (2024) have overlooked the effect of moisture, which, in the case of clays, and especially in the case of sodium-montmorillonite, will influence the shearing (which the authors have referred to as sliding) behavior and thus, the friction dynamics. Furthermore, the influence of horizontal stresses and/or confinement, excess pore-water pressure, and interfacial deformation on the RSM have been overlooked, which limit the applicability of the work for the ‘dynamic loading conditions’. These issues emphasize the necessity of a broader perspective on the material properties (viz., particle size, specific gravity, etc.) and environmental influences (viz., loading conditions, moisture, etc.) within RSM, and thus, considering these issues might help in enhancing the scientific understanding and future research in this area.