Use of recycled ceramic beads to enhance mechanical behavior of low-plastic clays

Due to the huge amount of annual non-renewable ceramic waste disposal, it is in favor of eco-system to reuse the ceramic waste in earthwork structures. Thus, among several different applications of ceramic components, they can also be used to replace aggregates in the core of embankment dams, waste disposal projects and to form subgrade of roads and railways. The main issues addressed in this study are the effect of the volumetric content and size of the ceramic inclusions on the mechanical properties of ceramic-clay mixtures. Using an experimental approach, strain-controlled monotonic, stress-controlled cyclic, and post-cyclic monotonic triaxial undrained tests were made. The innovation of this study is that sphere beads of ceramic with different diameters were added to low-plastic clay to explore the role of bead size on the mechanical properties of bead and clay mixtures under monotonic, cyclic and post-cyclic loadings. Thus, we tested four types of specimens consisting of merely pure clay, 80% clay–20% bead, 60% clay–40% bead, and 40% clay–60% bead. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images were additionally used to investigate the fabric of the clay between the ceramic beads. Test results revealed, firstly, that effective friction angle and undrained shear strength increase with the bead content. Secondly, dilative behavior was captured in all the bead and clay mixtures. Further, both dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio increase with the bead content. Similarly, post-cyclic shear strength increases with the bead content. Finally, different bead diameters did not change the observed trend. •Iran is among top producers of ceramic tile in the world, with considerable amount of annual non-renewable ceramic waste accumulation.•It is in favor of eco-system to reuse the ceramic waste in earthwork structures.•This study shows that an addition of ceramic grains to low-plastic clay improves its mechanical specifications.•Effective friction angle, undrained shear strength, dynamic shear modulus, damping ratio and post-cyclic shear strength increase with the increase of bead content.•Results of the study show that the content of the bead significantly affects the behavior of the mixture of the bead and clay, regardless of the bead diameter.