Abstract
The volume of scrap tyres, an undesired urban waste, is increasing rapidly in every country. Mixing sand and rubber particles as a lightweight backfill is one of the possible alternatives to avoid stockpiling them in the environment. This paper presents a minimal model aiming to shed light on the relevant physical parameters governing the evolution of the void ratio of sand–rubber mixtures undergoing an isotropic compression loading, where the mixtures consist of various volume ratios of rubber. It is based on the idea that, when pressure is applied, the rubber particles deform and partially fill the porous space of the system, leading to a decrease of the void ratio with increasing pressure. We show that our simple approach is capable of reproducing experimental data obtained with sand and rubber of similar particle size distributions up to mixtures composed of 50% of rubber. The effect of the particle shape and size on the model parameters is discussed.
Highlights
The number of scrap tyres is increasing rapidly in both developed and developing countries due to the steady rise in the number of vehicles
It is probably possible to have a direct estimation of f quantity using X-ray tomography at several stages of the compression process, in the absence of such experimental results we test our model by studying the evolution of the mixture void ratio with the mean pressure in small scale sample isotropic compression tests
We derived a simple model aiming to predicting the evolution of the void ratio of granular materials made of mixture of sand grains and rubber particles undergoing isotropic compression
Summary
The number of scrap tyres is increasing rapidly in both developed and developing countries due to the steady rise in the number of vehicles. The accumulation of used tyres is gradually becoming a real societal problem In this context, recycling and mixing rubber particles derivatives with granular soil particles constitute a solution to this problem as they can be used in various geotechnical applications such as backfilling for retaining structures, slope and highway embankment stabilization, road constructions, soil erosion prevention and seismic isolation of foundations [1]. In addition to their remarkable mechanical properties [2,3,4,5,6,7], such soil-rubber chip composite mixtures have interesting acoustical and drainage properties too [8].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
