Scrap Tires and Structural Integrity

Following a deadly earthquake in Lombok, Indonesia, Dr. Jan Bernal-Sánchez writes on researching ways to improve building foundations in this article. Earthquakes are one of the deadliest natural disasters, according to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, and despite constant improvements in both civil engineering and emergency systems, deaths often adversely affect low-income people living in developing countries.

Dr. Bernal-Sánchez writes that previous attempts to alter building foundations to make them stronger have been successful, but installation is typically expensive and difficult. His solution is to introduce foundations made from local soil mixed in with scrap tire, a material that overpopulates landfills but can still be put to good use.

The proposed rubber-soil mixture helps to absorb vibrations from a potential earthquake and can even change the natural frequency of the soil foundation.

​Research is still ongoing to perfect the soil-to-rubber ratio, but with the right amount of reliable simulation tests and funding, this study shows promising results to help avoid high death tolls from earthquakes in the future. 

Image Source: Angelo_Giordano