Predicting one-dimensional compression of tire derived aggregate using a simple method

Abstract

Tire derived aggregate (TDA) is a material that exhibits high compression under loading, a factor that governs its design and performance in civil engineering. Due to the large size of TDA particles (up to 305 mm), it is hard to obtain undisturbed TDA samples from the field to perform compression testing in the laboratory. Commonly, laboratory compression tests are conducted on TDA with small particle sizes, and hence the stress-strain curves obtained cannot be directly used to predict the field compression of TDA with different particle sizes and initial unit weights. To solve this problem, this study proposes a simple method to predict the compression of TDA based on its compression modulus (Ec)-void ratio (e) relationship under one-dimensional loading. The effectiveness of this method is evaluated using experimental data from laboratory and field tests. The results indicate that TDA samples with different particle sizes and initial unit weights have a very similar Ec − e relationship under one-dimensional loading. Hence, the Ec − e relationship can be determined from a relatively small-scale laboratory compression test, and can then be used to predict the compression of TDA with different particle sizes, initial unit weights, tire sources, and test scales. The accuracy of the prediction relies on the accuracy of the measurements for specific gravity and initial unit weight.