Numerical Investigation on the Use of Scrap Tire Derivatives for Liquefaction Mitigation

Disposal of scrap tires is indeed a significant environmental concern worldwide. As scrap tires are durable in nature, their derivatives are recommended for various civil engineering applications. Filling materials in the embankments, drainage materials, etc., are few applications suggested by various recent studies. The present study aims to investigate the use of scrap tire derivatives (TDA) for liquefaction mitigation. The study investigates the response of the ground improved with an optimum TDA-sand mix chosen from an experimental program comprising 84 number of cyclic triaxial tests. The research was conducted utilizing the numerical software PLAXIS. The investigation included the pore pressure generation in the soil in order to investigate the liquefaction behavior of the ground. A parametric study on the thickness, number of layers and depth of the placement of the optimum mix was also conducted. It was observed that TDA addition to sand improves the damping and liquefaction resistance of the sand, whereas stiffness of the matrix is reduced. Further it was concluded that the sand TDA mix should be provided in a single layer with a small thickness and at a depth below the liquefiable layer for maximum efficiency.