INVESTIGATION OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE CONTAINING RECYCLED RUBBER FROM WASTE TIRES

Abstract

Disposal of tire rubber waste is a major ecological issue around the world. Millions of scrap tires are thrown away every year, discarded or even buried resulting in a very dangerous environmental threat. Burning of these tires was the cheapest and easiest way of disposal, which leads to fire hazards. After burning process, the left powder pollutes surrounding soil. Temperature also rises in the around area and toxic smoke with harmful components which have critical impact on humans, plants and animals. Safest and practical solutions for eliminating scrap tire are the best way, one of them is to utilize this scrap into concrete industry as partial replacer for both natural fine aggregate (FA) and coarse aggregate (CA) forming conventional plain rubberized concrete (PRC). In this study, control mixture and other six rubberized mixes, contained rubber, were prepared with incorporated rubber particles as a partial substituent to each of fine and coarse aggregates at replacement levels of 10, 20 and 30%. In the study presented herein, workability, compressive strength, static modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, flexural strength, flexural toughness, abrasion resistance, impact resistance, bond strength and density of concrete mixes have been assessed. It was found that flexural toughness, abrasion resistance and impact resistance of PRC were increased with the increase of crumb rubber content while consistency, compressive strength, static modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, flexural strength, bond strength and density decreased when referencing to the control mix. The results showed that the optimum replacement percent of FA with fine rubber particles (FRP) was 30%, while for mixes with CA partially replaced by coarse rubber particles (CRP), the optimum replacement percent was 10%.