Fatigue performance and fatigue equation of crumb rubber concrete under freeze–thaw cycles

Abstract

To prepare crumb rubber concrete (CRC) by grinding rubber particles is one of the most efficient ways to recycle waste tires. In cold regions, the concrete is simultaneously subjected to fatigue loading and freeze–thaw cycles. In order to reveal the effect of freeze–thaw cycles on fatigue strain and fatigue life of CRC, CRC was made by substituting sand with equivalent volumes of rubber granules of 30 mesh, and after freeze–thaw cycles, the experimental study and theoretical analysis of the uniaxial compression and constant amplitude fatigue properties of the specimens were carried out. The results show that the fatigue strain of CRC presents a three-stage variation and is basically unaffected by freeze–thaw cycles. The fatigue life of CRC after freeze–thaw cycles accords with the Weibull distribution, The fatigue life of CRC mainly depends on the actual stress level. The test results of the fatigue life of CRC were analyzed for reliability by probabilistic statistical methods to obtain fatigue equations for different survival rates. Based on the principle of equivalent damage, the fatigue equation considering freeze–thaw cycles was established which can be used to predict fatigue life of CRC in engineering structures in the seasonal frozen regions.