Ductility and Cracking Behavior of Reinforced Self-Consolidating Rubberized Concrete Beams

Abstract

This paper investigates the applicability of using optimized self-consolidating rubberized concrete (SCRC) and vibrated rubberized concrete (VRC) mixtures in structural applications. The curvature ductility, ultimate flexural strength, and cracking characteristics of different SCRC and VRC mixtures were tested using large-scale reinforced concrete beams. The variables were crumb rubber (CR) percentage (0–50% by volume of sand), different binder contents (500–550 kg/m3), inclusion of metakaolin (MK), use of air entrainment, and concrete type. The performance of some design codes were evaluated in predicting the cracking moment and crack widths of the tested beams. The results indicated that although the flexural capacity of the tested beams decreased with the addition of CR, adding CR improved the beams’ curvature ductility and reduced its self-weight. Adding CR into concrete also appeared to limit the flexural crack widths but with a slightly higher number of cracks compared to beams without CR. In general, the obtained results from the present work indicate promising potential for SCRC and VRC use in structural applications.