Behaviour of similar strength crumbed rubber concrete (CRC) mixes with different mix proportions

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a series of tests aimed at comparing the mechanical behaviours of various crumbed rubber concrete (CRC) mixes of similar strength. For this purpose, a number of similar strength CRC mixes using different mix proportions and crumbed rubber content were developed. Shredded scrap truck tyre was used as the crumbed rubber for these CRC mixes. Mechanical properties such as compressive and tensile strength and their variation with time, elastic modulus, stress-strain relationships of the developed mixes were experimentally measured and compared. These experimental results were also used to examine the appropriateness of using available standard guidelines for predicting mechanical properties of ordinary concrete to CRC. The measured stress-strain behaviours were also compared with the constitutive models for ordinary concrete available in the design guidelines. The results of this study show that regardless of rubber content, similar strength CRC mixes exhibit similar mechanical properties and available standard guidelines for normal concrete can be used to predict their behaviour with similar level of accuracy of normal concrete.