Long-term Performance of Highway Embankment Using Tire Shred-Sandy Soil Mixture

In this paper, the long-term performance of highway embankment using tire shred-sandy soil mixture as a lightweight fill material was evaluated through the field monitoring and field test programs. A tire shred-sandy soil embankment was constructed to support a four-lane highway in Indiana, which was built with a 50 : 50 volumetric ratio of tire shreds (maximum particle dimension of 76 mm) and sandy soil (SP, USCS). After opening of the road for traffic, no noticeable differential settlement and lateral deformation were observed, and no adverse environmental impact on temperature was detected as a result of the construction of the tire shred-sandy soil embankment. Moreover, FWD test results showed that tire shred-sandy soil mixture provides bearing capacity comparable to that of conventional fill and meets the criterion for a design life of 20 years.