Ashoke Karmokar
Bridgestone Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
Title: Scrap tires: Diversified technology portfolio for the application of recycled rubber materials
Biography
Biography: Ashoke Karmokar
Abstract
Scrap tires constitute a large volume of solid waste in many countries. As per the scrap tires management scenario available in many parts of the world, the share of material recycling sector s very limited though a high percentage of scrap tires generated is being recycled1. With the aim of increasing the share of scrap tires in material recycling sector, attempt has been made to explore the use of scrap tire derived materials as geomaterials in civil and/or geotechnical engineering applications2-3. The present paper deals with with the research studies on developing cement treated clay-rubber geomaterials, including acorresponding field trial undertaken in Japan.
Laboratory studies have shown that the mixing of scrap tires derived granulated rubber offers an effective means of improving toughness (ductility) of cement treated clay while maintaining the very low permeability characteristics. X-ray CT scan4 on cement treated clay rubber specimens under unconfined compression condition has shown that cracks only appear around the rubber grain after reaching peak stress. This may be attributed to the fact of differences in Poisson’s ratios of rubber grain and cement treated clay Minute cracks thosedeveloped successively around the rubber grain have prevented the growth of wide cracks as opposed to the cement treated clay, and thus enabling their use in structures where deformation is anticipated.
In line with our findings, a field trial5 on the barrier wall design of a sea-bed disposal site at Tokyo bay, Japan has been conducted An important aspect laid for the design was to minimize barrier foundation breakage in the case of serious deformation of the revetment. Cement treated clay-rubber was applied at the barrier wall foundation of the sea-bed disposal site upon mixing dredged clay retrieved from the sea-bed of the construction site, cement and scrap tire derived rubber grains. About 80 tons of rub er grains with a size range of 1-3mm were used in this case study.