Effects of Shredded Rubber Tires on Bean Growth When Used as a Fill Material in Local Memphis Area Loess

This study was performed to show the effects on green bean growth when incorporating different sizes and different percentages of shredded rubber tire into local soil found in Memphis, TN and the surrounding area. Approximately 300 million tires are disposed of each year in the United States which has led to significant environmental concerns. As a remediation to this negative environmental impact, the geotechnical engineering community has been working to use rubber tires as a fill material in soil modification projects. The next concern is the short and long-term effect on plant life due to the incorporation of shredded rubber tire into the soil. In this study, the effect of the rubber tire usage as a fill material on green bean growth was monitored to gain insight on the short-term condition of sight landscape and fruit cultivation. Brown loess, which is the primary soil found in the Memphis area was used as the potting soil. To gain understanding on the use of shredded rubber tire as a fill material, different percentages of varying mesh sizes of shredded rubber tire were mixed with the local loess to form a basis of comparison. The results presented show the effect of different amounts and sizes of shredded rubber tire on the growth rate of green beans.