Dynamic behavior evolution of geocell reinforced rubber-sand mixtures: Experimental study from small to extremely large strains

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

• The wide-strain dynamic behavior of geocell-reinforced rubber-sand mixtures (RSM) is investigated systematically for the first time. • The mechanisms by which the density of the geocell reinforcement affects the dynamic behavior of the RSM under small strains were elucidated. • The dynamic behavior of geocell-reinforced RSM was systematically studied under both small-strain and extremely large strain conditions. • The microscopic mechanical mechanisms influencing the dynamic properties of the RSM under extremely large strains due to geocell reinforcement were analyzed. Rubber-sand mixtures (RSM) have broad application prospects in seismic isolation because of their outstanding energy dissipation capabilities and cost-effectiveness. However, their low load-bearing capacity and strength limit wider applications. To address this issue, this study presents the geocell reinforcement technique to enhance the mechanical properties of RSM and investigate their dynamic characteristics. First, the effects of reinforcement layers, rubber content ( RC ), and confining pressure on the dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio were analyzed using a resonant column test, focusing on the reinforced RSM's dynamic properties at small-strain. Additionally, large-scale cyclic shear tests were conducted to study the dynamic performance of geocell-reinforced RSM under extremely large-strain conditions. The key conclusions are: Geocell reinforcement can simultaneously enhance both the dynamic shear modulus and the damping ratio of RSM throughout a wide strain range. At small-strain, with rising RC , the effectiveness of geocell reinforcement in increasing the dynamic shear modulus initially strengthens and then weakens. The peak enhancement occurs at an RC of 15%, after which the effect begins to decline. Additionally, as the number of reinforcement layers increases, the incremental effect of reinforcement on the dynamic shear modulus gradually diminishes. The effect on the damping ratio varies depending on the RC . Under extremely large strain conditions, geocell-reinforced RSM exhibits strong energy-dissipating characteristics, and the sample size has a minimal effect on its performance. These research findings provide new insights into the dynamic behavior of geocell-reinforced RSM throughout a wide strain range.