Use of recycled tires for seismic protection of embankment dams

Abstract

Earth dams are currently the main type of retaining structures designed and built in areas of high seismic activity. One of the constructive measures to improve the seismic resistance of earth dams is a solution based on the use of the principle of seismic isolation. In the course of the work, structures of embankment dams were developed with a seismic isolation layer located between the body of the dam and its soil base. The seismic isolation layer is formed using recycled metal-cord tires filled with gumbrine. The use of these new designs allows, due to the unique technical properties of the waste (tires and gumbrin), to achieve increased damping and diffraction. Soil reinforcement is one of the constructive measures used on dams of small and medium height to increase their seismic resistance. The paper presents new structures of earthquake-resistant embankment dams with reinforcing elements. These reinforcing elements are made from recycled tires of heavy vehicles and concrete blocks. When seismic forces act on the dam, the reinforcing elements take on excess tensile forces due to adhesion to the dam soil. The deformability of the soil is limited and regulated by elastic tires and reinforced concrete beams in the reinforcing elements, which, with the help of tubular connections, work as one whole system. A new design of an earthquake-resistant group dam with reinforcing elements using recycled steel cord tires of two sizes has been developed. The reinforcing element consists of concrete blocks made of two paired concrete discs. The disks of larger diameter are located below the disks of smaller diameter. Recycled tires act as a fixed formwork in the manufacture of concrete discs.