Scrap-tyre soil mixture for seismic protection

Scrap tyre stockpile has been a significant disposal problem around the world. Significant research attention has

been devoted in recent years to find new beneficial ways to recycle and reuse the huge stockpile. This paper

proposes a new method of utilizing scrap tyres for infrastructure protection. The method involves mixing scrap

tyres with soil materials and placing the mixtures around foundations for vibration absorption. This method

provides two major benefits: (i) the low-cost would make it accessible to developing countries and rural areas of

developed countries where resources and technology are not adequate for earthquake mitigation with welldeveloped,

expensive, techniques and (ii) potential to consume the huge stockpiles of scrap tyres all over the

world. However, the success of the proposed method depends on the static and dynamic properties of scrap tyresoil

mixtures. This paper presents results of recent experimental investigations on tyre (tyre crumbs)-soil

mixtures carried out at University ofWollongong.