Experimental Investigation on the Applicability of a Novel Tire-Grid Used in Slope Stabilization Under Repeated Loads

Stockpiled waste tires are flammable, prone to fires that generate toxic fumes, and may then cause a major health hazard for both human beings and animals. Regarding this matter, this study investigated the beneficial application of worn tires in the form of tire-grid as a layer of reinforcement in a sandy slope. Therefore, large-scale repeated plate load tests were carried out to study the reinforcement effect of the proposed tire-grid under various conditions such as different burial depths and different loading plate diameters. Moreover, one test with a layer of commercial geogrid was performed to compare the efficiency of the tire-grid and geogrid. The results showed that the tire-grid had a significant contribution to improvement of the performance of the sandy slope, bringing about a twofold increase in the bearing capacity in comparison with the unreinforced condition. The optimal condition was reached when the tire-grid was embedded at a burial depth of 0.3B, but the bearing capacity of the plate had an upward trend as the length of the tire-grid increased. It was realized that the proposed tire-grid satisfied all aspects of a sustainable product in terms of the technical, environmental and economical perspectives, confirming that it can be an excellent reinforcing alternative.