Stress-dilatancy responses of recovered plastics and demolition waste blends as a construction material

Abstract

This research study focuses on the stress-dilatancy and compressibility responses of recovered plastics (RP) when used as a supplementary material in blends with construction and demolition (C&D) materials. RP is comprised of different types of waste plastics with a diverse range of shapes, colors, and sizes. The compressibility and collapse potential of RP/C&D blends were assessed through a series of one-dimensional consolidation tests. The stress-dilatancy responses and shear strength of RP/C&D blends were also evaluated via a series of monotonic drained triaxial tests. The RP content was the governing factor affecting the compressibility of blends with limited effect on the collapse potential of C&D aggregates. Moreover, the stiffness and strength of RP/C&D blends decreased with the increase in RP content. The inclusion of RP enhanced the energy absorption of the blends through the increase in total work input upon shearing. Stress-dilatancy properties of the RP/C&D blends were also found to be governed by the total work input parameter. The dilatancy of blends was also modeled within the scope of critical state soil mechanics with the use of dilatancy parameters correlated with the total work input.