Effect of Added Waste Rubber on the Properties and Failure Mode of Kaolinite Clay

In this study, the shear strength parameters of the Kaolinite clay, as the control material, and the Kaolinite clay reinforced by different percentages of two different types of crumb rubber content have been evaluated. The consolidated drained and unconsolidated undrained triaxial and California bearing ratio tests have been conducted on the control and crumb rubber reinforced soils. Addition of crumb rubber would improve shear strength parameters such as cohesion, friction and dilation angles, stiffness and the ductility of the reinforced soil. 5, 10 and 15 % (by the weight of dry soil) of crumb rubber content were used in this study which were undergone confining stress levels of 100, 200 and 300 kPa and an optimum crumb rubber content is found, which results in the maximum bearing capacity of the soil. Also, due to the non-linearity of the failure mode of reinforced soil and inadequacy of Mohr-Columb envelope for describing the behaviour, a failure mode is proposed for the clay soils reinforced by crumb rubber. This failure criterion is useful for failure envelope of clay-rubber matrix.