Gravity and mechanically stabilized earth walls using whole scrap tires

Date

2000-05

Authors

Retterer, Taya Ann

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

As more and more vehicles enter today's highways there is a greater and greater need to find uses for the scrap tires produced by these automobiles. There is no longer enough space to stockpile them and the hazards of stockpiling are too great. This problem has caused a need to find ways to recycle or reuse scrap tires. Some of these methods are tire pyrolysis, tire derived fuel, and retreading. In the field of civil engineering tires have been used to build marine reefs, protect shorelines, as a lightweight fill material, highway crash barriers and in bituminous pavements. The focus of this paper is on the use of scrap tires in the area of retaining walls and erosion control structures. Three retaining walls that have been built by tires are presented. Mechanically stabilized earth and gravity walls were chosen to be investigated further. Design methods were determined for these wall types. Once design parameters, such as wall heights and soil parameters, were set, the methods where used to create a series of design charts. These charts give the designs for a variety of walls. They cover walls of different heights, configurations, and batters. Construction details are given in order to assure the integrity of the walls. Conclusions looked at economic aspects, constructability issues, and the high volume use of tires. Some final recommendations included the building of a test wall, completing a life cycle cost analysis, and the compiling of an environmental impact statement.

Description

Keywords

Tires, Waste tires, Retaining walls

Citation