Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (Nov 2023)
Dispersion characteristics of clayey soils containing waste rubber particles
Abstract
The rubber-containing waste materials have been widely used to improve the engineering properties of soils in recent years. Among others, granular rubbers are utilized in various ways to increase the bearing capacity and shear strength and to reduce the settlement and liquefaction potential of soils. The granular rubbers have many advantages such as temperature resistance, flexibility, tear-resistance, non-slip, and thermal and electrical insulation. This study presents the distribution characteristics of five different types of clayey soils with different engineering properties containing waste rubber particles (WRPs). On the other hand, determining and controlling the dispersion characteristics of clayey soils is two significant engineering problems. The study aims to solve these two remarkable and problematic issues in an eco-friendly and safe way. The role of WRP treatment in the investigation of soil dispersion behavior, which can cause dangerous problems such as piping, erosion, and dispersion, reflects the original and different perspectives of this study. Within this scope, geotechnical parameters of the clayey soils were determined. Subsequently, pinhole test, crumb test, double hydrometer test, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis were performed on the Na-activated bentonite, refined ball clay, Ukrainian kaolin, Avanos kaolin, and Afyon clay samples with different percentages of WRPs (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%). Consequently, Avanos and Ukrainian kaolin clays gave the most limited response to the dispersion behavior with the addition of WRP. Also, WRP treatment on the ball clay and bentonite samples showed limited efficiency. Afyon clay, which was defined as dispersive by the three tests that determined its dispersion potential, showed 3 level changes in the pinhole tests and 2 level changes in the crumb tests, and gave the most effective results in terms of WRP efficiency.
