Deformability of Shredded Tires

Abstract

This report describes three separate studies that examine the deformability of shredded tire fill material. The first study determined the response of shredded tires to cyclic loading. These tests were conducted in a load frame on both constrained and unconstrained samples and showed that the material became stiffer with increasing load. The second study focused on the long-term creep settlements of constrained and unconstrained samples. The results indicate that creep exists for a period of up to two years after loading. The third study investigated the possible anisotropic properties of the material. A larger modulus of elasticity was found in directions parallel to the layers than in the direction perpendicular to the layers. However, settlements computed using a representative anisotropic shredded tire fill material indicate that the current settlement analysis, based on isotropic shredded tire layers, predicts maximum settlements conservatively.