Mechanical Concrete: Lateral Confinement for all Stone Aggregates

Mario Honrubia

Mechanical Concrete® uses thin-walled cylindrical confinement to create geosynthetic product. A thin-walled cylinder provides lateral confinement for all types of stone aggregates. Lateral confinement improves the structural performance of all aggregate materials. This thin-walled cylinder is created by removing both sidewalls from a waste auto tire. This creates an industrial strength, low cost tire-derived-geosynthetic-cylinder; and it reuses one of society’s most important and high-quality industrial products. The product can function in a variety of applications. As a road-base it creates a mechanically stabilized free-draining base. It has been lab tested and field demonstrated. It is currently functioning as highway bases and shoulders, earth retaining walls, slope and channel erosion protection and as a pothole repair system. It has been researched, developed and demonstrated since 2005. It’s a strong and economical method for improving the structural performance of crushed stone aggregates and other man made and natural aggregates. It’s simple to understand and easy to use. Mechanical Concrete® is patented in the U.S. and Canada.