Behavior of Tire-Geogrid-Reinforced Retaining Wall System under Dynamic Vehicle Load

The surge in the number of cars has generated enormous numbers of waste tires in recent years. How to utilize the waste tires in engineering construction in an environmentally friendly way is a problem that China and many other countries have to tackle. In this study, the dynamic response of a retaining wall reinforced with combined waste tires and geogrid was experimentally investigated. The simulated dynamic vehicle load was exerted by a self-developed loading system. The performance of the combined waste tire and geogrid reinforcement for a retaining wall system was compared with that of systems reinforced with biaxial geogrid, geocell, and waste tire. The accelerations and vertical earth pressures at selected locations within the model and deformations of different reinforced retaining walls subjected to simulated dynamic vehicle loads were measured. The test results demonstrated that the combined waste tire and geogrid reinforcement enhanced the dynamic performance and stability of the retaining wall. Furthermore, the influences of tire spacing, vehicle speed and loading magnitude on the dynamic responses of the reinforced retaining wall system also were examined. The findings drawn from this study along with the derived correlations likely will benefit both relevant engineering practice and the recycling of waste tires.