Analysis of Rock Quarry Sand and Bottom Ash Reinforced by Randomly Distributed PET Rings

The study presented deals with determining the shear strength and deformation properties of coarse-grained waste materials, such as rock quarry sand (RQS) and bottom ash (BA), which can be improved using randomly distributed reinforcements made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) rings. The tests were executed for a degree of reinforcement n, i.e., a ratio of a PET ring weight to the weight of the dry parent materials, which equals about n = 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1.0% in the case of RQS, and n = 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% in the case of BA. The results showed that the most effective improvement in the shear strength properties can be achieved for n = 0.25 - 0.5% in the case of RQS and n = 0.5 - 1.0 % in the case of BA. Reinforcing RQS by n = 1.0% or BA by n = 1.5% led to a significant decrease in the 1D deformation modulus. The positive effect of randomly distributed PET ring reinforcements on the properties of RQS and BA materials was also demonstrated using physical modeling. An embankment model made of RQS and reinforced by PET rings (n = 0.25 %) can carry up to a 2.8 times greater load than an embankment model made of the parent RQS. An embankment model made of BA with PET rings (n = 0.5%) can carry up to a 2.3 times greater load than an embankment model made of the parent BA. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2025-011-05-06 Full Text: PDF