Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of the size and weight content of waste rubber particles on the relevant performances of rubberized concrete. First, the fine aggregates were partially replaced by rubber particles of different sizes to produce rubberized concrete. Secondly, the mechanical and thermal insulation properties of rubberized concrete were investigated. Finally, microstructural analyses of rubberized concrete including scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and energy distribution spectroscopy (EDS) were examined. Experimental results indicated that uniaxial compressive strength of rubberized concrete was reduced, while the peak strain was gradually increased and thermal insulation properties were improved with the increase of rubber content or decrease of rubber particle size. In addition, rubber particles affected the failure modes, endowing concrete with weak brittleness and strong cracking resistance. Additionally, it was observed that the interfacial adhesion between the matrix rubber and the aggregates was weak under SEM, which seemed to be a key factor that reduced the strength of rubberized concrete.
Highlights
Waste tire rubber is a kind of polymeric solid waste whose volume is increasing at a fast rate
This study mainly aimed to investigate the effect of rubber particle size and content on the compressive strength, failure mode, and thermal insulation properties of rubberized concrete by using an electro-hydraulic servo universal testing machine and a homemade thermal insulation testing device
When particle size was small (1~3 mm or 40 mesh), there was no obvious difference in the change of internal temperature of specimens, and the influence of rubber content on the change of temperature was no longer obvious, relatively, which, revealed that the specimens were better when the particle size was smaller
Summary
Waste tire rubber is a kind of polymeric solid waste whose volume is increasing at a fast rate. Almost 1000 million tires are discarded, and 50% of them are not reused. By the year 2030, the accumulation of waste tires will reach about 1200 million, which is one of the most important ecological and environmental problems around the world. It is worth noting that the incorporation of processed waste tires into concrete by partially replacing aggregates to produce rubberized concrete is an example of reusing waste to produce a sustainable material [8]. Recycled rubber can be regarded as a sustainable alternative, as it contributes to reducing waste production and the use of raw materials [9], increases the workability of concrete, and provides environmental-friendly and cost-effective solutions by using recycled materials for concrete construction applications [10].
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