APPLICATION OF RUBBER TYRE POWDER

IN GRANULAR SOILS
Synopsis of Thesis
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT
FOR THE AWARD OF DEGREE
OF

MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY
(STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING)
SUBMITTED BY
RAJWINDER SINGH BANSAL
ROLL NUMBER 81402105008
SUPERVISOR
PROFESSOR SANJEEV NAVAL
HEAD CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
DAVIET JALANDHAR

PTU REGIONAL CENTRE

DAV INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
JALANDHAR
2011
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction

2.

Literature Survey

3. Problem Formulation

4. Objectives

5. Methodology

6. Facilities Required for proposed work

10

7. Proposed Place of work

11

8. References

12

Thesis Synopsis
NAME

:Rajwinder Singh Bansal

UNIVERISTY ROLL NUMBER

: 81402105008

COURSE

: M. Tech. (Part Time)

BRANCH

: Structural Engineering

YEAR OF ADMISSION

: 2008

OFFICIAL ADDRESS

Innovative

Engineers,

Nakodar

Road,
Phagwara
TELEPHONE NUMBER

: 98722-75756

E-MAIL

: rajwindersinghbansal@rocketmal.com

NUBER OF SUBJECTS PASSED TILL DATE : 12 Subjects All Cleared

PROPOSED TOPIC

: APPLICATION

OF

RUBBER TYRE POWDER

IN GRANULAR SOILS

1. INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION:
Tyre in his life time successfully bears all types of loads under all types of weather
conditions. However millions of scrap tyres are discarded annually and even large number is
currently stockpiled throughout the country consuming valuable land fill space, or if
improperly disposed, providing a breeding ground for mosquitoes and rodents. Until recently
to overcome the problem of disposal of end of life tyres, the main option has been energy
recovery in industrial processes. However to encourage recycling and recovery of end of life
tyres and reuse of tyre material in construction work is one disposal option.
After completion of its useful life cycle it might have lost its road worthiness, its other
inherent properties such as low density, high elasticity, low stiffness, high drainage capacity
and high thermal insulation is still intact. Because of its light weight, it can be used to solve
the bearing capacity problem of soft compressible soils.
The recent trends in finding lightweight solution to geotechnical engineering works has
resulted in various construction techniques that are based on development of new materials
and concepts. In this research work we will use rubber scrap in the form of powder in order to
improve the Pressure settlement characteristics of sandy soil.
Though the pressure settlements in the field are determined by plate load test, to similitude
the condition in the laboratory a tank with a footing shall be used .We will use rubber tyre
powder with granular soil at various depths, with different relative densities to observe the
load settlement behavior of soil.

2. LITRATURE REVIEW
Huge quantity of unwanted scrap tires is being generated every year and results in major
environmental hazards worldwide. The present recycling techniques of the scrap tires may
only consume a very small amount of the unwanted tires. The percentage of scrap tire
recycled is not compatible with the growth of scrap tire. This has become a serious problem
in many countries.
Research into the application of scrap tires for construction purpose has started some years
back in the developed countries like America, Australia and Europe (Long 1996) [9] For Civil
Engineering applications, scrap tires could be used as subgrade fill and embankments,
backfill for wall and bridge abutments, septic system drain fields, beach erosion control, and
sound attenuation systems (RMA, 2007)

[11]

. Examples of application of whole tires as

construction materials can be found in Long (1996)

[9]

and Garga[6] & OShaughnessy[6]

(2000), while those of shredded tires are given by Drescher and Newcomb (1994) [4], Abbott
(2001) [1], Amirkhanian (2001) [2], Okba et al. (2001)

[10]

, Ghani et al. (2002)

[7]

and RMA

(2007) [11]. The use of whole scrap tire without shredding is probably more preferable because
energy is not wasted in further processing. An example of such application would be to use
the tires as a retaining wall (Garga & OShaughnessy, 2000) [6]. A tire is composed of rubber
or polymer materials strongly reinforced with synthetic fibers and high strength steel which
produces a material having unique properties such as very high tensile strength, flexibility
and high frictional resistance. Its mechanical properties remain available even after its
ordinary life as a car wheel element has expired.
Utilization of scrap tires as reinforcement, especially for slope repairs would be particular
useful to countries where slope failures (landslides) are common, and scrap tires are
abundant. The application of scrap tires for reinforcement requires a good understanding of
the physical and mechanical strength properties, and durability of the tire. Currently, there is
little information available. There is also apparently no testing standard or guideline that is
suitable to test the tensile strength of scrap tire for such an application. In countries like
Malaysia, scrap tires are sometimes used as facing elements of a retaining wall, but not as the
entire system (Huat et al., 2006) [8].

3. PROBLEM FORMULATIONS
3.1 Background of the problem
Modifications of construction materials have an important bearing on the building sector.
Several attempts have been therefore made in the building material industry to put to use
waste material products, e.g., worn-out tires, into useful and cost effective items. Success in
this regard will contribute to the reduction of waste material dumping problems by utilizing
the waste materials as raw material for other products.
The waste problem considered as one of the most crucial problems facing the world as a
source of the environmental pollution. It is contributing as a direct form in pollution that
includes the negative effects on the health by increasing the diseases, diseases vector,
percentage of mortality and lowering the standard of living.
The waste usually defined as the all remains things resulted from production, transfer and
uses processes, and in general all transmitted things and resources that the owner or the
producer wants to dispose or must dispose to prevent the risk on the health of the human and
save the environment in general.
During last recent years, many improvements in India have occurred in all parts of life such
as social, industrial, economical etc. Like all countries in the world, this will lead to generate
new ways of living and increase the human requirements, and will also increase types and
quantities of the waste in the India, without any active processes to provide solution to this
problem.
One of the important types of remains is waste tires which have been classified as a part of
municipal solid waste (MSW), resulted from the increase of vehicle ownership and traffic
volume within the India territories. This eventually will increase consumption of tires over
time.
Current practices show that residents throw it randomly in different places such as valleys,
road sides, open areas, and waste dumpsites in improper ways taking the means of open fire,
and without consideration of risk on human health and environment. Figures 1.1 and 1.2
show some of the forms of dumping and wrong practices for waste tires.

3.2 Background of the problem

Waste rubber tires cause environmental problems all over the world. One of the potential
means of utilizing the waste tires is to process this waste material for the protection of
environment and society. In the present research the effect of waste tire powder shall be
observed in load settlement characteristics of the granular soils.

4. OBJECTIVES

This research aims to help in assisting partially the environmental issue resulted from
disposing waste vehicle tires. The objective of this research is to investigate the utilization of
rubber tire (powder) in poorly graded granular soils to observe improvement in their pressure
settlement characteristics.

5. METHODOLOGY
Plate load test is the field test to determine the ultimate bearing capacity of soil and the
probable settlement under a given load. The test essentially consists in loading a rigid plate
and the foundation level and determines the settlement corresponding to each load increment.
The method assumes that down to the depth of influence of stresses, the soil strata are
reasonably uniform.
3.1 DETERMINATION OF MATERIAL PROPERTIES
The following properties of the rubber fibre are determined
1. Specific Gravity of Rubber powder
2. Rubber fibre Size
3.2 DETERMINATION OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SAND SAMPLES
The following properties of the rubber fibre are determined
1. Specific gravity
2. Dry Density
3. Particle size distribution
4. Compression Index
5. Uniformity Co-efficient
6. Angle of shearing resistance
3.3 EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMME
3.3.1 Footing
Model footing made up of mild steel will be used. The footing will be
machined to correct size in strip shape. The size of the footing used will be
0.10m x 0.28m.

3.3.2 Test Chamber

The size of the tank will be designed keeping in view the size of footing to be
tested and zone of influence. The inside dimensions of the tank will be fixed
as 0.70m long , 0.30m wide and 1.0m high . It will be made of mild steel
angles. The sides and bottom of the tank will be made up of 5mm thick mild
steel sheet, welded to the base frame work of steel angles and plates. The front
panel of the tank will be made of a transparent slide 10mm thick fiber glass
sheet.
3.3.3 Sample preparation
Model test will be conducted for strip footing resting on reinforced layered
sand. The sand will be placed in 20mm layers and compacted with the help of
wooden rammer. The sand will be filled in the tank with the help of rainfall
technique method. In this method, height of fall will be adjusted to achieve the
various densities for placing the sand. Height of fall will be kept 400, 500 and
600mm and sand will be passed through 3mm sieve size & the densities of the
sand at these depths will be noted. The sieve used will be of rectangular shape
having dimensions 0.68m long and 0.25m wide. The layer of reinforcement
will be placed at a depth of 0.4 times the width of footing below the base of
footing The

number of reinforcing layers will be varied from two to three.

The footing will be

positioned at the centre of sand surface. The load will

be applied with the help of

hydraulic jack. For each increment of load the

footing deformation will be recorded with the help of dial gauges.

3.4 PRESSURE SETTLEMENT CURVES

The plate load test will be conducted on the prepared samples, without reinforcement &
samples having reinforcement in the form of tyre powder, at different depths. The % age of
reinforcement shall be varied and the corresponding pressure & settlements will be noted.
Then the pressure settlement curves will be drawn from the data.

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6. FACILITIES REQUIRED FOR WORK

The Following Instruments/machines will be required to carry out the above said
Research work:
1. Tri axial compression testing machine
2. Core cutter
3. Sieve Analysis Equipment
4. Tank for conducting Plate load test of samples.
The materials such as Granular soil & Rubber powder that are to be used, to carry out
the above said Research work:

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7. PROPOSED PLACE OF WORK

This research work will be done at Geotechnical Laboratory, D.A.V.I.E.T., Jalandhar.

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8. REFERENCES

1. Abbott, G.M.P. (2001). The Use of Crumb Rubber from End of Life Tyres in Sport and
Play Ground. International Symposium of Recycling and Reuse of Used Tyres. University of
Dundee, United Kingdom. 19-20 March 2001. Vol. 13, Bund. B 9
2. Amirkhanian, S.N. (2001). Utilization of Crumb Rubber in Asphaltic Concrete Mixtures
South Carolina Experience. International Symposium of Recycling and Reuse of Used Tyres.
University of Dundee, United Kingdom. 19-20 March 2001.
3. ASTM D4595-05. (2007). Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Geotextiles by
the Wide-Width Strip Method. ASTM International.
4. Drescher, A. & Newcomb, D. (1994). Development of Design Guideline for Use of
Shredded Tires as a Lightweight Fill in Road Subgrade and Retaining Walls. Minnesota
Department of Transportation Report MN/RC-94/04.
5. FHWA-HI-95-038. (1995) Geosynthetic Design and Construction Guidelines. FHWA
6. Garga, V.K. & OShaughnessy, V. (2000) Tire Reinforced Earthfill. Part 1: Construction
of a Test Fill, Performance, and Retaining Wall Design. Canadian Geotechnical Journal
37:75-96.
7. Ghani, A.N.A., Ahmad, F. & Hamir, R. (2002) Varying Effect of Compressible Layers in
Retaining Wall Backfill. Proceedings of 2nd World Engineering Congress, Selangor: (Huat et
al. ed.) UPM Press, pp. 114-116. ISBN 967-960-142-0.
8. Huat, B.B.K., Han, K.K., Loh W.C., Ali, F. & Aziz, A.A. (2006) Retaining Structures:
Design and Constructions in Tropical Soils. University Putra Malaysia Press.
9. Long, N.T. (1996) Utilization of Used Tyres in Civil Engineering The Pneusol
Tyresoil. Proceedings of 2nd International Congress on Environmental Geotechnic. Osaka,
Japan, pp. 809-814.
10. Okba, S.H., El-Died, A.S., Abdel-Wahab, M.M. and Abdel-Hameed, M.E. (2001)
Performance of Concrete Using Rubber Tyre Particles. International Symposium of
Recycling and Reuse of Used Tyres. University of Dundee, United Kingdom. 19-20 March
2001.
11. RMA (2007) The Use of Scrap Tires in Civil Engineering Applications. Rubber
Manufacturers Association, Washington D.C. July 2007.

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