1D compression calculation for composite geomaterial

Abstract

A composite geomaterial is formed by blending earth materials with a special material, e.g., expanded polystyrene beads or rubber tire chips, in designated proportions. The composite geomaterial takes the advantages of low unit weight, improved shear strength and integrity, over conventional earth fills, when the materials are used for various geo-infrastructures, e.g., embankments, utility trenches and retaining walls. To study the deformation behaviour of the composite material helps understand the response of the material if subjected to field vertical or lateral loads. In this study, a one-dimensional (1D) compression calculation was developed to depict the compressibility of the material. The calculation was able to account for the effect of mixture proportion, and can be summarised in a unique mathematical form. Case study was illustrated to demonstrate the calculation of the compressibility.