International Journal of Engineering Innovation & Research

Volume 5, Issue 4, ISSN: 2277 – 5668

Influence of Waste Tyre Rubber Chips on Strength and

Settlements of Soils
A.Venkata Ratnam Dr. D S V Prasad
PG Student, Dept. of Civil Engineering, BVC Engineering Professor & Principal, Dept. of Civil Engineering, BVC
College, Odalarevu, AP, India Engineering College, Odalarevu, AP, India
[email protected] [email protected]

Dr. G V R Prasada Raju P. Sowmya Ratna

Professor & Principal, Department of Civil Engineering, JNTU Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, BVC
College of Engineering, Kakinada, AP, India Engineering College, Odalarevu, AP, India
[email protected] [email protected]

Abstract – Flyash is a waste produced from thermal power decrease with the increase of the percentage of rubber tyre
stations, which contributes to environmental pollution. It is a content. This might be due to light weight nature of tyre
waste material that can be utilized in construction of roads waste. Shredded rubber tyre mixed with soil showed
and embankments. One of the most promising approaches in enhancement in CBR value with adding up to 8 % and
this area is use of flyash as a replacement to the conventional
there beyond decreased with additional increment in tyre
weak earth material and waste tyre rubber as reinforcement
will solve two problems with one effort i.e. elimination of content in unsoaked condition. Swarna Surya Teja and
solid waste problem on one hand and provision of a needed Paleru Siddhartha (2015), has investigated the effective
construction material on other. Disposal of a variety of use of waste tyres to stabilize the subgrade of highway
wastes in an eco friendly way is the thrust area of today’s pavement, showing improvement in CBR value with its
research. This paper investigates to determine the optimum addition up to 5% and there onwards decreased increase in
percentage of waste tyre rubber with flyash material by tyre content in both soaked and unsoaked conditions and
conducting direct shear and CBR tests. It was observed that aggregates when partially replaced by waste tyre pieces
from the laboratory test results, the optimum percentage of showed considerable decrease in abrasion value, crushing
waste tyre rubber with flyash material is 6% and from the
value and impact value which proves them to be better
load tests flyash with waste tyre rubber shows better
performance as compared to un reinforced flyash pavement. composite material in the subbase layer of the pavement
system. Ghatge Sandeep Hambirao, and Dr.P.G.Rakaraddi
Keywords – Flyash, Waste Tyre Rubber, Shear, CBR and (2014) has been chosen shredded rubber from waste as the
Load Tests. reinforcement material and cement as binding agent which
was randomly included into the soil at three different
I. INTRODUCTION percentages of fibre content, i.e. 5% 10% and 15% by
weight of soil. California bearing ratio and unconfined
Reinforcement is an effective and reliable technique for compression tests were conducted. The tests have clearly
increasing strength and stability of soils. In general soil shown a significant improvement in the shear strength and
reinforcements can be classified into two major categories bearing capacity parameters and low strength and high
one by ideally inextensible and other by ideally extensible compressible soft clay soils were found to improve by
inclusions. The former includes high modulus metal strips addition of shredded rubber and cement. Prasad et
and bars, while the latter includes relatively low modulus al.,(2013), has conducted Cyclic plate load tests in the
natural and synthetic fibers, plant roots and polymer fabric laboratory at OMC to study the relative performance
and shredded tyre chips. A lot of research work is going between the reinforced and unreinforced subbases of
on worldwide to cope up with this problem. Waste tyres model pavement system and the results were found that,
have characteristics that make them not easy to dispose, flexible pavement reinforced with waste plastics and waste
and potentially combustible. Reinforced earth technique tyre rubber has shown better performance as compared to
has been gaining popularity in the field of geotechnical unreinforced subbase, at all deformation levels, flexible
engineering due to its highly versatile and flexible nature. pavement system laid on sand subgrade has shown better
The application of waste tyres in various forms has been performance when compared to expansive soil subgrade.
recently developed in reinforcing soil for a variety of Purushotham G. Sarvade and Prashant R Shet (2012) had
geotechnical applications ranging from retaining structures done experiments on geotechnical properties of clay
and earth embankments, asphalt pavement and paving Stabilized with Crumb Rubber Powder to investigate
system, foundation beds and other applications. Umar Jan optimum CRP for stabilization of the clay from
et al., (2015), has conducted experiments on pavement geotechnical properties like particle size, specific gravity,
subgrade soil stabilized with varied proportions of 4%, compaction characteristics, and unconfined compression
6%, 8% and 10% shredded rubber tyre and found that the strength of both problem clay and stabilized clay and also
8% (25 mm×50 mm) of tyre content is the specific value the effect of cement and lime on CRP stabilized clay and
where the CBR has got the improvement of 66.28% than results that CRP altered the engineering properties of
in comparison of the plain soil. The optimum moisture problem clay and 5% CRP and unconfined compressive
content as well as maximum dry density is found to strength was increased when the optimum mix (problem
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 International Journal of Engineering Innovation & Research
Volume 5, Issue 4, ISSN: 2277 – 5668

clay+5% of CRP) was blended with cement and lime. increasing shredded tire content. The shredded tires
Ayothiraman and Ablish Kumar Meena (2011) conducted improved some engineering properties of sand. It is
experiments on soil and soil+tyre mixtures, Dry density evident that not much work has been reported on the
reduces with increase of % tyre waste, however, there is flyash subbases reinforced with waste tyre rubber for its
no significant change in OMC. This could be due to light application to flexible pavements on expansive soil
weight nature of tyre waste. Tyre waste material mixed subgrades. This paper investigates the performance of
with soil showed improvement in CBR value with its waste tyre rubber by mixing with different percentages in
addition up to 2% and there onwards decreased with flyash materials to find the optimum percentage by
further increase in tyre content in unsoaked/soaked conducting direct shear and CBR tests in the laboratory
condition. Hence the optimum value of waste tyre content which followed by load tests .
is 2% in unsoaked and soaked conditions. Max. CBR
values are 13.21 % and 12.31 % for unsoaked and soaked II. MATERIAL PROPERTIES
condition. As per AASHTO standards the CBR values for
sub grade soils lies in the range of 10% to 25 %. The Details of various materials used during the laboratory
percentage improvement in CBR value of stabilized soil is experimentation are reported in the following section.
21% in unsoaked condition and 22% in soaked condition. Expansive Soil: The soil used as a subgrade in this
An increase in CBR value can significantly reduce the study is a typical black cotton soil collected from Razole,
total thickness of the pavement and hence the total cost East Godavari Dt., Andhra Pradesh. This soil is classified
involved in the project. Baleshwar Singh and Valliapan according to I.S classification as inorganic clay of high
Vinot (2011) concluded the benefits of reusing chips of compressibility (CH) as shown in Fig.1 and table.1. The
scrap tires to reinforce a cohesive soil and cohesion less properties of the expansive soil assessed based on relevant
soil. From the test results, tire chips mixed in a compacted I.S.Code provisions.
fine-grained soil can result in greater strength and
improved ductility. On the other hand, the addition of tire
chips to sand increases the shear resistance at higher
displacement although the magnitude and nature of this
increase are affected by normal stress, chips content and
aspect ratio, which are statistically significant at 95%
confidence level. On the whole, the results reveal that the
addition of 13% and 30% chips content can be considered
as optimum to reinforce the cohesive soil and the cohesion
less soil, respectively. D. S. V. Prasad and G. V. R.
Prasada Raju (2009), observed that from the laboratory
test results of direct shear and CBR, the gravel subbase Fig. 1 Black Cotton Soil
shows better performance as compared to flyash subbase Table 1 Properties of Expansive Soil and Flyash
with different percentages of waste tyre rubber as
reinforcing material, from the result of direct shear tests Expansive
Property Flyash
and CBR tests for gravel and flyash materials reinforced soil
with different percentage of waste tyre rubber, the Specific Gravity 2.67 1.95
optimum % of waste tyre rubber are equal to 5% and 6% Grain Size Distribution
of dry unit weight of soil, respectively. No significant Sand (%) 9 27
control of heave is observed for the laboratory model
flexible pavements for both the gravel and flyash Silt (%) 34 66
reinforced with waste tyre rubber tried in this Clay (%) 57 07
investigation, laid on expansive soil subgrade. At all the Compaction Properties
deformation levels, gravel reinforced with waste tyre
Maximum Dry 13.37
rubber in model flexible pavement has shown better 15.45
Density(kN/m3)
performance, compared to flyash subbase reinforced with
O.M.C. (%) 25 24
waste tyre rubber. Mousa F. Attom (2006) conducted
laboratory study on the effect of shredded tires on the Atterberg Limits
physical properties of three different types of sands with Liquid Limit (%) 74 --
varying gradations. Each type of sand was mixed with four --
Plastic Limit (%) 33
different percentages of shredded tires: 10, 20, 30 and 40%
by dry weight. Direct shear tests were conducted to study Plasticity Index (%) 41 --
the effect of the shredded tires on the shear strength Shrinkage Limit (%) 15 --
properties of sands, such as angle of internal friction and IS Classification CH --
shear strength. The addition of shredded waste tires
increased both the angle of internal friction and the shear Differential Free Swell (%) 132 --
strength of the sands. Additionally, a prediction model was Soaked CBR (%) 2 4
developed to calculate the shear strength of sand due to

Copyright © 2016 IJEIR, All right reserved

283
 International Journal
urnal of Engineering Innovation & Research
Volume 5,, Issue 4, ISSN: 2277 – 5668

Flyash: Flyash was collected from Vijayawada Thermal added to the soil in small increments and mixed by hand
Power Station, Vijayawada. The properties of flyash are until uniform mixing of the chips was ensured. The soil
furnished in Tables 1&2. was compacted to maximum dry density (MDD).The (MDD
Road Metal: Road metal of size 20 mm conforming to specimens were tested in a 6 cm × 6 cm square box at
WBM-III,
III, satisfying the MORTH Specifications is used as normal stresses of 3, 5, 7, 9 N/mm2 for each percentage of
base course material. waste tyre rubber with flyash and sheared at a rate of 1.25
Waste Tyre Rubber Chips: Waste Tyre Rubber chips mm/min. The graph was plotted between normal stress and
passing through 4.75 mm sieve were used in this study, as shear stress at failuree for each percentage of waste tyre
an alternative reinforcement material as shown in the Fig. rubber for obtaining the shear strength parameters.
2. California Bearing Ratio (CBR) Tests: Different
Table 2. Chemical Composition of Flyash samples were prepared in the similar lines for CBR test
(Courtesy: VTPS, Vijayawada) using flyash materials reinforced with waste tyre rubber
Name of the Range by % the details
ails of which are given in table 3. The CBR tests
Symbol
Chemical of weight were conducted in the laboratory for all the samples as per
Silica SiO2 61 to 64.29 I.S.Code (IS: 2720 (Part-16)-1979)
1979) as shown in the Fig. 4.
Alumina Al2O4 21.60 to 27.04
Ferric Oxide Fe2O3 3.09 to 3.86
Titanium dioxide TiO2 1.25 to 1.69
Manganese Oxide MnO Up to 0.05
Calcium Oxide CaO 1.02 to 3.39
Magnesium Oxide MgO 0.5 to 1.58
Phosphorous P 0.02 to 0.14
Sulphur Trioxide SO3 Up to 0.07
Potassium Oxide K 2O 0.08 to 1.83
Sodium Oxide Na2O 0.26 to 0.48
Loss on ignition 0.20 to 0.85

Fig. 3. Direct Shear Test Apparatus

Fig. 2. Waste Tyre Rubber Chips

III. LABORATORY TESTS

Various tests were carried out in the laboratory for
finding the index and other important properties of the
soils used during the study. Direct shear and CBR tests
were conducted by using different percentages of waste Fig. 4. California Bearing Ratio Test Apparatus
tyre rubber chips were mixed with flyash materialmat for
finding optimum percentage of waste tyre rubber and the Table 3. Different Percentages of Reinforcing Materials
details of these tests are given in the following sections. Subbase Reinforcing % of Reinforcing
Compaction Properties: Optimum moisture content Material Material Material
and maximum dry density of flyash were determined Waste Tyre
Flyash 0, 1,2,3,4,.5,6,7,8
according to I.S heavy compactionn test (IS: (IS 2720 (Part Rubber Chips
VIII). Preparation of Model Flexible Pavement
Direct Shear Tests: The direct shear tests were The expansive soil used as a subgrade which is collected
conducted in the laboratory as per IS Code (IS: 2720 (Part- at a depth of 0.3m below the ground level from Razole,
13)-1986) as shown in Fig. 3. The required percentage of Andhra Pradesh. The each layer is compacted to 2.0 cm
waste tyre rubber by dry unit weight of soil was mixed thickness in 10 layers to a total thickness of 20 cm to its
uniformly
mly with the soil and the details are shown in optimum moisture content and maximum
m dry density in
table.3. The water content corresponding to OMC of was the mild steel test tank. On the prepared expansive soil
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201 IJEIR, All right reserved
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 International Journal of Engineering Innovation & Research
Volume 5, Issue 4, ISSN: 2277 – 5668

subgrade, flyash subbase material mixed with optimum increased from 290 to 370 with 6 % of waste tyre rubber
percentage of waste tyre rubber (obtained from laboratory chips and thereafter decreased with further additions. The
shear and CBR test results) with water at OMC is laid in cohesion values are increased from 6.85 to 16.64 kN/m2
two layers each of 2.5 cm compacted to a total thickness with 6 % of waste tyre rubber chips and thereafter
of 5.0 cm. These layers are also compacted to OMC and decreased.
MDD and laid on the prepared subgrade. On the prepared
subbase, two layers of WBM-III each of 2.5 cm
compacted thickness, was laid to a total thickness of 5.0
cm as shown in the Fig.5.

Fig. 6. Laboratory Cyclic Load Test Apparatus

California Bearing Ratio (CBR) Test: CBR tests were

conducted for flyash materials reinforced with different
percentages of waste tyre rubber chips and the results were
presented in the Fig.8. It is observed from that for flyash
reinforced with waste tyre rubber chips, the soaked CBR
values are increased from 4.0 to 7.23 for 6% of waste tyre
Fig. 5. Laboratory Experimental Set- Up for Conducting rubber chips and there after decreased.
Cyclic Load Test
40
Shear Strength Parameters

Cyclic Load Testing 35

Cyclic Plate load tests were carried out on flexible 37 37 37
30 35
pavement system in a circular steel tank of diameter 600 32 33 34
25 29 31
mm as shown in Fig. 6. The loading is done through a
circular metal plate of 100 mm diameter was placed on the 20 15.27 16.64 16.6316.63
12.24 13.13 13.91
center of model flexible pavement system. The steel tank 15 10.77
is placed on the pedestal of the compression testing 10 6.85
machine. A five ton capacity proving ring is connected to 5
the loading frame and the extension rod welded to the Cohesion (kN/m2)
circular plate is brought in contact with proving ring, two 0
dial gauges of least count 0.01 mm are placed on the metal 4 0 6 2 8
% of Waste Tyre Rubber
flats welded to the vertical rod to measure the vertical
displacements of the loading plate. The load is applied in Fig. 7. Variation of Shear Strength Parameters for Flyash
increments corresponding to tyre pressures of 500, Reinforced with Different % of Waste Tyre Rubber
560,630, 700 and 1000 kPa and each pressure increment is
applied cyclically until there is insignificant increase in the 8 6.81 7.23 7.11 6.79
settlement of the plate between successive cycles. The 5.93
testing is further continued till the occurrences of failure to 6 4.92 5.12
4.21
Soaked CBR(%)

record the ultimate loads. These tests are carried-out at 4

complete saturation state. 4

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 2

Direct shear and CBR tests were conducted as per IS: 0

2720 (part XIII, 1986); IS: 2720 (Part-16)-1979) 0 2 4 6 8
respectively in the laboratory for flyash materials mixed % of Waste Tyre Rubber
with and without reinforcement material of waste tyre
rubber chips with a view to find the optimum percentage Fig. 8. Variation of Soaked CBR for Flyash Reinforced
which followed by load tests at complete saturation and with Different % of Waste Tyre Rubber
the results are furnished below.
Direct Shear Test : Based on the results, shown in the
Fig. 7, it is observed that, for flyash reinforced with waste
tyre rubber chips , the angle of internal friction values are
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 International Journal
urnal of Engineering Innovation & Research
Volume 5,, Issue 4, ISSN: 2277 – 5668

on expansive soil subgrade pavement system tested at

saturation are plotted and presented in fig. 9. It can be seen
from this figure that the deformations attained equilibrium
after six cycles of loading and unloading for all the
pressure increments tried during the study. s Higher
deformations are recorded at higher load intensities as
expected. Similar pressure-deformation
deformation patterns are
observed for other conditions of testing also except the
variations in the magnitudes of deformations. The
maximum and elastic deformation
deformat values obtained for
different tests are deduced from the cyclic pressure-pressure
deformation curves discussed in the following sections.
The pressure - deformation curves for different model
flexible pavements constructed on flyash subbase laid on
expansive soilil subgrade, shown in figs.10 & 11. At all the
deformation levels, waste tyre rubber chips reinforced
flyash subbase stretch shows better performance as
compared to unreinforced flyash subbase stretch.
The total and elastic deformations at a load of 1000 kPa
Fig. 9. Pressure Vs Deformation values for Flyash are equal to 37.28 mm, 16.36 mm; for untreated stretch;
Subbase on Model Flexible pavement system laid on 26.36mm, 14.72 mm; for waste tyre rubber chips
Expansive Soil subgrade reinforced stretch respectively. The total and elastic
deformation are decreased by 31%, 19% waste tyre rubber
chips reinforced stretch as compared to unreinforced
stretch respectively. However by providing reinforcement
in the flyash subbase course, the load carrying capacity of
the system has increased by 12% percentages for waste
tyre rubber chips reinforced stretch saturated state of the t
expansive soil subgrade. It can be observed that the load
carrying capacity is significantly increased and elastic
deformation is decreased for the waste tyre rubber chips
reinforced flyash subbase stretch compared to
unreinforced subbase stretch respec
respectively. The
improvement in the load carrying capacity could be
attributed to improved load dispersion through reinforced
Fig. 10. Pressure-Total
Total Deformation for Reinforced and subbase on to the subgrade. This in-turn,
in results in lesser
Unreinforced Flyash Subbase of Flexible Pavement laid on intensity of stresses getting transfer to subgrade, thus
Expansive Soil Subgrade at Saturation leading to lesser subgrade distress. It is observed from the
pressure - deformation curves for different reinforcement
materials in flyash subbase laid on expansive soil
subgrade. At all the deformation levels, reinforced waste
tyre rubber chips flyash subbase stretch exhibits
exhib highest
load carrying capacity compared to unreinforced flyash
subbase stretches.

V. CONCLUSIONS
The optimum percentage of waste tyre rubber from
direct shear and CBR test results is 6%.
The load carrying capacity of the model flexible
pavement system is increased by introducing
reinforcement in flyash subbases laid on expansive soil
Fig. 11. Pressure-Elastic
Elastic Deformation for Reinforced and subgrade.
Unreinforced Flyash Subbase of Flexible Pavement laid on The total and elastic deformation are decreased by 31%,
Expansive Soil Subgrade at Saturation 19% waste tyre rubber chips reinforced stretch as
compared to unreinforced stretch.
Cyclic Load Test Results The maximum load carrying capacity followed by less
Cyclic load tests were carried out at complete saturated value of rebound deflection is obtained for waste tyre
states of the expansive soil bed at different pressure rubber reinforces pavement as compared to unreinforced
unreinf
increments. The cyclic pressure-deformation
deformation curves for flexible pavement system.
waste tyre rubber chips reinforced in flyash subbase laid
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 International Journal
urnal of Engineering Innovation & Research
Volume 5,, Issue 4, ISSN: 2277 – 5668

REFERENCES
[1] Umar Jan, Vinod
inod K. Sonthwal, Ajay Kumar Duggal, Er. Jasvir S.
Rattan, Mohd Irfan (2015), “Soil Stabilization Using Shredded
Rubber Tyre “International Research Journal of Engineering and
Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056 0056 Volume: 02, Issue: 09,
Dec-2015, pp. 741-744.
[2] Swarna Surya Teja, Paleru Siddhartha(2015), “Stabilization of
Subgrade soil of Highway Pavement using Waste Tyre Pieces”
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology (An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified
Organization),Vol. 4, Issue 5, May 2015, pp.3265-3273.
pp.3265
[3] Ghatge Sandeep Hambirao,Dr.P.G.Rakaraddi (2014) “Soil
Stabilization Using Waste Shredded Rubber Tyre Chips” IOSR
Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering Volume11, Issue
1(Feb. 2014), PP 20-27.
[4] D. S. V. Prasad, M.Anjann Kumar and G. V. R. Prasada Raju(2013),
“Effect of Waste Materials in Pavement Construction “,Proceedings
of Indian Geotechnical Conference -2013, 2013, December 22- 22
24,IITRoorkee,pp 1 of 7.
[5] Purushotham G. Sarvade and Prashant R Shet(2012), “Geotechnical
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[6] Ayothiraman,R., Abilash Kumar Meena.,.(2011), ”Improvement Of
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[7] Baleshwar Singh and Valliapan Vinot, (2011)
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AUTHORS' PROFILES
A.Venkata Ratnam A completed B.Tech(civil) in
Sathyabama
athyabama University, Chennai and presently
perusing M.Tech in Soil Mechanics
echanics and Foundation
Engineering.

Dr. D. S. V. Prasad working as Principal BVC

Engineering College, Odalarevu, AP, has more than 20
years of experience in teaching. Published more than
80 technical papers in National & International Journals
& Conferences in the research area of soil mechanics
and foundation engineering. He got a prestigious Crop’s
of Engineers Award constituted by IEI Journal.

Dr. G V R. Prasada Raju working as Registrar, JNT

University, Kakinada has more than 24 years of
experience in teaching and research, has more than 150
1
technical papers in National & International Journals &
Conferences, Crop’s of Engineers Award received by IEI
Journal.

P. Sowmya Ratna working as Assistant Professor,

Department of Civil Engineering, BVC Engineering
College, Odalarevu, Andhra Pradesh
radesh has 2 years of
experience in teaching.

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