Influence of size of granulated rubber and tyre chips on the shear strength characteristics of sand–rubber mix

Use of scrap tyres in isolation systems for seismic damping, requires a knowledge of the engineering properties of sand–rubber mixtures (SRM). The primary objective of this study is to assess the influence of granulated rubber and tyre chips size and the gradation of sand on the strength behaviour of SRM by carrying out large-scale direct shear tests. A large direct shear test has been carried out on SRM considering different granulated rubber and tyre chip sizes and compositions. The following properties were investigated to know the effect of granulated rubber on dry sand; peak shear stress, cohesion, friction angle, secant modulus and volumetric strain. From the experiments, it was determined that the major factors influencing the above-mentioned properties were granulated rubber and tyre chip sizes, percentage of rubber in SRM and the normal stress applied. It was observed that the peak strength was significantly increased with increasing granulated rubber size up to rubber size VI (passing 12.5 mm and retained on 9.5 mm), and by adding granulated rubber up to 30%. This study shows that granulated rubber size VI gives maximum shear strength values at 30% rubber content. It was also found that more uniformly graded sand gives an improved value of shear strength with the inclusion of granulated rubber when compared to poorly graded sand.     

废轮胎颗粒与黄土混合物压实性能研究

选择废轮胎颗粒以0～50%的掺量与黄土混合,研究了混合土的压实特性,并采用专门设计的环刀击实设备,对环刀击实和标准击实进行了对比分析。试验结果表明,掺量小于20%时混合土的压实特性类似黄土,掺量大于40%时的压实特性类似无黏性土;不同掺量的混合土最大干密度与最优含水率存在幂函数关系,击实能对10%～30%掺量的混合物有效最大干密度影响较小;不同击实能下掺量与最优含水率存在函数关系;混合土存在最佳压实掺量,轻、重型击实能下分别为30%和40%左右。根据室内试验结果,给出了不同掺量混合土击实指标建议值供设计参考。     

Experimental Study of Bearing Capacity of Granular Soils,Reinforced with Innovative Grid-Anchor System

The pull-out resistance of reinforcing elements is one of the most significant factors in increasing the bearing capacity of geosynthetic reinforced soils. In this research a new reinforcing element that includes elements (anchors) attached to ordinary geogrid for increasing the pull-out resistance of reinforcements is introduced. Reinforcement therefore consists of geogrid and anchors with cubic elements that attached to the geogrid, named (by the authors) Grid-Anchor. A total of 45 load tests were performed to investigate the bearing capacity of square footing on sand reinforced with this system. The effect of depth of the first reinforcement layer, the vertical spacing, the number and width of reinforcement layers, the distance that anchors are effective, effect of relative density, low strain stiffness and stiffness after local shear were investigated. Laboratory tests showed that when a single layer of reinforcement is used there is an optimum reinforcement embedment depth for which the bearing capacity is the greatest. There also appeared to be an optimum vertical spacing of reinforcing layers for multi-layer reinforced sand. The bearing capacity was also found to increase with increasing number of reinforcement layer, if the reinforcement were placed within a range of effective depth. The effect of soil density also is investigated. Finally the results were compared with the bearing capacity of footings on non-reinforced sand and sand reinforced with ordinary geogrid and the advantages of the Grid-Anchor were highlighted. Test results indicated that the use of Grid-Anchor to reinforce the sand increased the ultimate bearing capacity of shallow square footing by a factor of 3.0 and 1.8 times compared to that for un-reinforced soil and soil reinforced with ordinary geogrid, respectively.     

Shear strength characteristics of sand-mixed with granular rubber

Waste materials such as waste tires, rubbers, and plastic materials are normally produced in every society, entering the environment and causing serious problems. These problems may be somehow reduced by finding applications for them in engineering, for example, as lightweight materials for backfill in geotechnical projects. To this aim, this paper demonstrates how shear strength characteristics of sand mixed with various percentages of waste garden hose grains are altered. A relatively, uniform sand has been mixed with waste hose grains in loose and slightly compacted states. Waste hose grains were prepared with special popular machinery in a local area. Various sand-rubber mixtures having 0%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 50%, 70%, and 100% waste hose particles by weight were chosen. The rubber grains were distributed in the sand such that uniform mixtures are obtained. In order to compare the shear strength of different sand-rubber samples, two compaction states were considered. The results show that the influencing parameters on shear strength characteristics of sand-rubber mixtures are normal stress, mixture unit weight, and rubber content. With the selected waste hose particles, compaction states, and rubber contents, the initial friction angle φ₁ does not change significantly. However, an apparent cohesion appears in the mixtures. From environmental point of view and due to lightweight material for the sand-waste hose particles, it may be useful to use such materials in corresponding geotechnical projects. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

废轮胎颗粒与黄土混合物剪切特性研究

废轮胎应用于岩土工程不仅开辟了废轮胎处置的新途径,还为解决岩土工程问题提供了新型复合材料。为了更好地模拟实际回填土受力工况,采用不固结不排水三轴试验研究了掺量为10%～50%的废轮胎颗粒与黄土混合物（以下简称GR-LM,granulated rubber loess mixtures）的剪切特性,考察了掺量、围压对剪切强度的影响。对试验结果进行了机制探讨。研究表明,所有GR-LM试样均表现出应变硬化特点,纯废轮胎颗粒在试验所有围压范围内呈近似线性的偏应力-应变特性;GR-LM应力-应变特性与掺量和围压有关,低围压下存在剪切强度增大的掺量为30%,其GR-LM强度高于其他各掺量混合土并略高于纯压实黄土的剪切强度;GR-LM剪切强度机制与GR-LM孔隙填充状态、基质土物理状态、弹性骨架颗粒有关,总体上随骨架颗粒的不同接触关系而表现出粉土与粒状土的强度特性,在剪切强度特性上体现出掺量与围压作用的相互耦合,而与压实粉土或砂土有所不同。     

Performance of square footing with structural skirt resting on sand

The paper presents the performance of a square footing with a structural skirt resting on sand and subjected to a vertical load through an experimental study. A series of tests were conducted in a model test tank to evaluate the performance in terms of improvement in bearing capacity and reduction in settlement of a square footing with and without a structural skirt. The results of the study reveal that this type of reinforcement increases the bearing capacity, reduces the settlement and modifies the load settlement behaviour of the footing. The various factors influencing the bearing capacity improvements and settlement reduction using a structural skirt are identified. Skirt factors are proposed which can be introduced into the general ultimate bearing capacity equation for a square footing resting on sand. The predictions made through the modified equation are in reasonable agreement with the experimental results. The bearing capacity of square footing is increased in the range of 11.2 to 70%. The improvement in bearing capacity decreases with the increase in base roughness of the footing. Further, an equation for a settlement reduction factor is proposed which can be used to calculate the settlement of the square footing with structural skirt resting on sand. The settlement reduction factor (SRF, defined as the ratio of settlement of footing with structural skirt to the settlement of footing without structural skirt at a given load) was in the range 0.11 to 1.0 depending on applied load and skirt depth ratio with the use of a structural skirt. The results further reveal that for a given depth of the skirt, the settlement reduction factor decreases with the increase in applied load. The improvement in the bearing capacity and reduction in settlement of a square footing with a structural skirt resting on sand are dependent on the geometrical and structural properties of the skirt, footing, sand characteristics and interface conditions of the sand–skirt–footing system.     

Bearing capacity of sandy soil treated by Kenaf fibre geotextile

Bio-based materials are widely used recently in order to introduce a more sustainable construction material. Kenaf is a type of bio-based material that can be easily obtained in a tropical country, which could be a potential material to be utilised as a geotextile material because it has good tensile strength. The geotextile could be used to improve the bearing capacity of a loose soil. This paper presents a series of small-scale physical modelling tests to investigate the bearing capacity performance of Kenaf fibre geotextile laid on and inside the sand layer. A rigid footing was used to replicate a strip footing during the loading test, and sand was prepared based on 50% of relative density in a rigid testing chamber for ground model preparation. In order to treat the soil, Kenaf fibre geotextile was laid at four difference locations which are on the soil surface and underneath the ground model surface at 50, 75 and 100 mm deep. It was found that the usage of the Kenaf fibre geotextile has improved the bearing capacity of the sandy soil up to 414.9% as compared to untreated soil. It was also found that the depth of the Kenaf fibre geotextile treated into the soil also affects the soil performance.     

Mechanical properties and time-dependent behaviour of sand-granulated rubber mixtures

The use of granulated recycled rubber as a lightweight material in civil engineering applications has been widely growing over the past 20 years. Processed waste tires mixed with soils have been introduced as lightweight fills for slopes, retaining walls, and embankments. It has also been considered as a damping material under foundations in seismic zones. Understanding the properties of sand-rubber mixtures is essential to evaluate its performance in geotechnical applications. Isotopically consolidated drained (CD) triaxial tests were conducted to investigate the effect of rubber size, content and saturation condition on the mechanical properties of sand-rubber mixtures. Moreover, the compressibility of the sand-rubber mixtures under sustained loading was investigated through one dimensional consolidation tests. The unit weight, shear strength and stiffness of sand-rubber mixtures decreased whereas deformability increased at increased rubber content. A non-linear stress-strain response was observed, that changed from brittle to ductile behaviour at increased rubber content. Sand-rubber mixtures, under one dimensional loading, exhibited significant settlement that increased as rubber content increased.     

Stability of eccentrically loaded footings on slopes

The stability of eccentrically loaded strip footings on slopes was investigated using the method of finite element analysis based on the theory of elasto-plasticity. The analysis was done for two different soils involving three levels of slope angle, six footing locations, and two levels of load eccentricity plus central vertical loading. The strip footing analysed was a 3-ft (0.9 m) wide reinforced concrete footing embedded to a depth of 3 ft (0.9 m). The analysis focused on footing settlement, plastic yielding of soil, and ultimate bearing capacity. The results of analysis show that the influence of load eccentricity on footing pressure vs. footing centre settlement is negligibly small. However, the progressive soil yielding and ultimate bearing capacity are greatly affected by load eccentricity. Furthermore, the effect of load eccentricity differs considerably with the load location relative to the footing centre and slope crest. The ultimate bearing capacity for the eccentric load located on the slope side is significantly greater than that for the load located on the other side of the footing centre. For a 2(H): 1(V) slope in silty clay, the effect of slope on footing stability decreases with increasing footing location from slope crest as would be expected, and diminishes when the footing is located from the crest at about 5-times the footing width.     

Direct Shear Tests on Waste Tires–Sand Mixtures

Waste tires are used in some engineering applications and thereby reduce the potential impact on the environment, for example, as lightweight materials in geotechnical engineering projects. This paper presents a brief literature review on geotechnical applications of processed waste tires, and a laboratory study on the effect of tire shreds on the physical properties of two different sands (fine angular sand and coarse rotund sand). Each type of sand was mixed four different percentages of rubber particles; 5, 10, 20 and 50% by dry weight. Direct shear tests were employed to investigate the effect of rubber particles on the shear strength of sands and internal friction angle. The addition of shredded waste rubber particles slightly decreased both the internal angle of friction and the shear strengths of the sands within the tested stress and strain levels. Additionally, a prediction model using stepwise regression (SR) method is proposed to calculate the shear strength of sands with the increasing rubber content. The performance of accuracies of proposed SR models are quite satisfactory. The proposed SR models are presented as relatively simple explicit mathematical functions for further use by researchers.     

Developing artificial neural network models to predict allowable bearing capacity and elastic settlement of shallow foundation in Sharjah,United Arab Emirates

This research proposes the use of artificial neural network to predict the allowable bearing capacity and elastic settlement of shallow foundation on granular soils in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Data obtained from existing soil reports of 600 boreholes were used to train and validate the model. Three parameters (footing width, effective unit weight, and SPT blow count) are considered to have the most significant impact on the magnitude of allowable bearing capacity and elastic settlement of shallow foundations, and thus were used as the model inputs. Throughout the study, depth of footing was limited to 1.5 m below existing ground level and water table depth taken at the level of the footing. Performance comparison of the developed models (in terms of coefficient of determination, root mean square error, and mean absolute error) revealed that the developed artificial neural network models could be effectively used for predicting the allowable bearing capacity and elastic settlement. As such, the developed models can be used at the preliminary stage of estimating the allowable bearing capacity and settlements of shallow foundations on granular soils, instead of the conventional methods.     

Tailings composition effects on shear strength behavior of co-mixed mine waste rock and tailings

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of mine tailings composition on shear behavior and shear strength of co-mixed mine waste rock and tailings (WR&T). Crushed gravel was used as a synthetic waste rock and mixed with four types of tailings: (1) fine-grained garnet, (2) coarse-grained garnet, (3) copper, and (4) soda ash. Co-mixed WR&T specimens were prepared to target mixture ratios of mass of waste rock to mass of tailings (R) such that tailings “just filled” interparticle void space of the waste rock (i.e., optimum mixture ratio, R _opt). Triaxial compression tests were conducted on waste rock, tailings, and mixed waste at effective confining stresses (\(\sigma_{\text{c}}^{{\prime }}\)) ranging from 5 to 40 kPa to represent stresses anticipated in final earthen covers for waste containment facilities. Waste rock and co-mixed WR&T specimens were 150 mm in diameter by 300 mm tall, whereas tailings specimens were 38 mm in diameter by 76 mm tall. Shear strength was quantified using effective stress friction angles (?′) from undrained tests: ?′ for waste rock was 37°, ?′ for tailings ranged from 34° to 41°, and ?′ for WR&T mixtures ranged from 38° to 40°. Thus, shear strength of co-mixed WR&T was comparable to waste rock regardless of tailings composition. Shear behavior of WR&T mixtures was a function of R and tailings composition. Tailings influenced shear behavior for R < R _opt and when tailings predominantly were silt. Shear behavior was influenced by waste rock for R ≥ R _opt and when tailings predominantly were sand or included clay particles.     

The bearing capacity of surface strip foundations on geogrid-reinforced sand and clay — a comparative study

Summary Laboratory model test results for the ultimate bearing capacity of a strip foundation supported by geogrid-reinforced sand and saturated clay are presented. One type of geogrid only was used for all the tests. On the basis of the model test results, the optimum depth and width of reinforcing layers and the optimum depth of the location of the first layer of the geogrid in sand and saturated clay were determined and compared.     

废旧轮胎胶粉-黏土混合土的击实性能

废旧轮胎橡胶颗粒用于填埋场衬垫材料改性,有望提高衬垫系统的有效性。击实性能是衬垫设计和施工的基础,但目前缺乏针对性研究,击实机理不够明确。开展废旧轮胎胶粉-黏土混合土的击实试验研究,探讨橡胶颗粒粒径、掺入比等因素对混合土击实性能的影响规律和压实机制。研究表明,当橡胶掺入比从0增大到25%时,胶粉-高岭土的最优含水率增大,胶粉-红黏土的最优含水率减小,变化在2.4%范围内; 混合土的最大干密度从1.65gcm-3减小至约1.40gcm-3; 试验选用的橡胶颗粒粒径对最优含水率和最大干密度差异不显著。在击实过程中橡胶颗粒回弹和橡胶颗粒比表面积变化两种效应下,最优含水率随橡胶掺入比的增加表现出减小(大颗粒时)、不变和增加(小颗粒时)的变化规律,并与基质土的性质密切相关。给出了初步设计时改性黏土含水率和干密度的控制方法,能够基本满足规范中对压实黏土的含水率和压实度的要求,且其渗透系数小于1.010-7cms-1。     

Interaction of Ribbed-Metal-Strip Reinforcement with Tire Shred–Sand Mixtures

There is a pressing need of finding innovative and beneficial ways of using scrap tires in the construction of various geotechnical structures because a large number of waste tires are generated and discarded every year throughout the world. One example of such geotechnical application is the use of tire shreds mixed with soil as a backfill material for mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls. In this paper, we report the results of laboratory pullout tests performed to study the interaction between ribbed-metal-strip reinforcement and tire shred–sand mixtures prepared with various tire shred sizes (9.5 mm in nominal size, 50–100 mm in length, and 100–200 mm in length) and tire shred-to-sand mixing ratios (tire shred contents of 0, 12, 25, 100% by weight). The pullout capacities of ribbed metal strips embedded in tire shred–sand mixtures were obtained for three confining pressures (40, 65, and 90 kPa). The test results showed that the pullout capacity of ribbed metal strips embedded in tire shred–sand mixtures is much higher than that of ribbed metal strips embedded in samples prepared with only tire shreds. Based on the laboratory pullout test results, an equation was developed that can be used to estimate the pullout capacity of ribbed metal strips embedded in tire shred–sand mixtures if the tire shred size, compacted unit weight of the mixture, mean particle size of sand, and vertical effective stress acting at the interface are known.     

The use of shredded waste tires to improve the geotechnical engineering properties of sands

A new geo-environmental approach was proposed to use waste tires in certain engineering applications and thereby reduce the potential impact on the environment. This paper presents a laboratory study on the effect of shredded tires on the physical properties of some sands. Shredded tires were passed through US sieve size 4 and mixed with three different types of sands with varying gradations. Each type of sand was mixed with four different percentages of shredded tires: 10, 20, 30 and 40% by dry weight. Direct shear tests were conducted to study the effect of the shredded tires on the shear strength properties of sands, such as angle of internal friction and shear strength. The addition of shredded waste tires increased both the angle of internal friction and the shear strength of the sands. Additionally, a prediction model was developed to calculate the shear strength of sand due to increasing shredded tire content. The shredded tires improved some engineering properties of sand.     

砂-黏土双层地基极限承载力的数值研究

在实际工程中,常见天然的或通过人工换填形成的上部砂土、下部黏土的层状地基,目前关于这种双层地基极限承载力和破坏机制研究还不够深入。通过有限差分法建立双层地基数值模型,分析基底粗糙程度、砂土剪胀角和超载对地基破坏模式及极限承载力的影响,并根据有限差分法计算结果对强度加权平均法、应力扩散法和冲剪破坏法等现有实用计算方法的估算正确性进行评价。研究结果表明,基底粗糙程度对极限承载力的影响随着砂土内摩擦角的增大而减小;当剪胀角较小时,剪胀角变化对承载力的影响更为明显;当下层黏土强度较小时,超载的作用更明显。强度加权平均法由于低估破坏面影响深度导致砂土层权重较大,计算结果偏大;应力扩散法忽略了砂土剪切强度,在砂土层较厚时出现低估;冲剪破坏法由于可较为精确地计算砂土破坏面上抗剪强度和被动土压力,是3种实用方法中计算最准确的,当砂土厚度和黏土强度较大时,建议按太沙基经验公式对下卧黏土进行局部剪切破坏修正后确定极限承载力。     

Compaction Properties of Sand Mixed with Modified Waste EPS

The paper presents the results of the study which influence the use of recycled waste expanded polystyrene foams (EPS), as a lightweight material used with river sand. In this study, thermally modified waste EPS have been used. The waste EPS were put in an oven at 130 °C through 15 min to obtain modified expanded polystyrene (MEPS). The influences of MEPS on compaction properties such as maximum dry density and optimum moisture content were investigated. For this purpose, five series of compaction tests were carried out. MEPS were added to river sand at 5, 10, 15, and 20 % by weight. The test results showed that addition of 20 % MEPS in sand reduces the density of mixture almost 50 %. MEPS can be an alternative light weight fill material for geotechnical applications.     

Estimation of bearing capacity for multiple footings in sand

In the present study, the effects of multiple-footing configurations in sand on bearing capacity were investigated using field plate load tests and finite element analyses. Both strip and spread footings were considered in the finite element analyses. In each case, different footing distances were applied for the purposes of comparison among all of the results. From these results, it was observed that the load responses of multiple footings are similar to those of the single footing at distances greater than three times the footing width. Design equation and correlation parameters, necessary for quantifying the values of the bearing capacity ratio for the different multiple-footing configuration, were derived. Experimental test results from the literature were selected and used in verifying the proposed method.     

Effective width rule in calculations of bearing capacity of shallow footings

The classical solution to the bearing capacity problem predicts the limit load on symmetrically loaded shallow strip footings. A useful hypothesis was suggested by Meyerhof to account for eccentricity of loading, in which the footing width is reduced by twice-the-eccentricity to its ‘effective’ size. This hypothesis sometimes has been criticized as being overconservative. This paper examines Meyerhof’s suggestion and presents the bearing capacity of eccentrically loaded footings calculated using the kinematic approach of limit analysis. It is found that the effective width rule yields a bearing capacity equivalent to that calculated based on the assumption that the footing is smooth. For more realistic footing models and for cohesive soils the effective width rule is a reasonable account of eccentricity in bearing capacity calculations. Only for significant bonding at the soil-footing interface and for large eccentricities does the effective width rule become overly conservative. For cohesionless soils, however, the effective width rule may overestimate the best upper bound. This overestimation increases with an increase in eccentricity. ©