Performance of high strength concrete containing recycled rubber

Abstract

Abstract Recycling and Utilizing waste rubber as a replacement of natural aggregate in concrete is a promising environmentally friendly solution. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of high strength concrete where the recycled rubber partially replace the fine aggregate. Four different mixes were produced in which crumb rubber partially replaced fine aggregate by 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% of volume. Slump, compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, density, abrasion resistance, seawater effect on rubberized concrete, impact resistance, and microstructural analysis were evaluated. The rubberized concrete mixes showed good workability and slightly lower density than the control mix. A systematic reduction of almost up to 50% in compressive, tensile, and flexural strength was witnessed with increasing the rubber content up to 30%. Lower abrasion resistance was obtained with increasing the rubber content. The rubberized concrete mixes displayed good behavior in seawater. The rubberized concrete mixes also showed up to 83% higher impact resistance compared to the control mix. The findings of this study give an overview of the effect of addition of recycled rubber on concrete of high strength.