Compressibility, Stiffness, and Energy Dissipation of Aeolian Soil-Rubber Waste Mixtures Under Confined Compression Condition

Background Aeolian soil (AS), which is created by wind deposition, has numerous characteristics that present joint environmental and engineering challenges. On the other hand, day by day, rubber waste (RW), from scrap tires, accumulates from discarded or old tires; thus, it also adds important hazards and problems to the surrounding environment. Mixing of these materials generates composite geomaterials with different characteristics for varied geotechnical applications and helps in addressing many challenges related to them. To ensure the advantages outweigh any possible risks, precise testing of the Aeolian Soil-Rubber Waste (ASRW) mixtures is essential. Methods The current paper examines the response of ASRW mixtures under lateral restraint conditions. Laboratory specimens were prepared in a dense state with five fractions of rubber ranging from 0% to 100%. The results are analyzed and plotted, considering the effect of rubber content on the compressibility, stiffness, collapsibility, and energy dissipation. Results The finding reveals that the compressibility of ASRW mixtures changes significantly with rubber content, at which the void ratio reaches a minimum value (close to 0.2). With higher RW, the compressibility of specimens increases, while their stiffness lowers. More inclusion allows the re-arrangement of grains and more replacement of the solid skeleton, resulting in the formation of hybrid packing mixtures, causing a slight collapse. The stress—strain response of mixtures at higher rubber inclusion is nonlinear to a significant degree. This behavior evidenced that these mixtures are “rubber—like” in response and show plastic deformation. Furthermore, the RW inclusion causes the mixtures to absorb and dissipate more energy. The WR worked as a mini damper inside the mixtures. This is clear in the loading and unloading loops in the cyclic oedometer tests. Conclusions Finally, further use of the ASRW mixtures is proven, as they exhibit more damping capacity and can be applied in different infrastructures as a vibration-damper.