Fracture behavior of a sustainable material: Recycled concrete with waste crumb rubber subjected to elevated temperatures

Abstract

Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) made from construction and demolition wastes has several environmental benefits. Fire is one of the most common disasters in buildings, and RAC is a brittle construction material; therefore, the bearing capacity of RAC structures under high temperatures should be considered. According to previous studies, crumb rubber made of waste tires can further reduce damages to RAC under high temperatures. Meanwhile, fracture behaviors are one of the key characteristics of concrete materials that need to be considered, but few studies have focused on their behavior when subjected to elevated temperatures. Rubber-modified RAC (RRAC) notched beam specimens with three recycled aggregate substitutions (0%, 50%, and 100%), and four rubber contents (0%, 2%, 4%, and 6%), exposed to high temperatures (200 °C, 400 °C, and 600 °C), were tested using the three-point bending test. The fracture behaviors of the RRAC, including the crack mouth opening displacement, fracture energy, and fracture toughness were analyzed. The results show that the effect of rubber particles on the unstable fracture toughness is greater than that on the initial cracking toughness of RAC after exposure to high temperatures. However, the enhanced effect of rubber on the fracture resistance decreases after subjecting it to a high-temperature treatment owing to the softening and eventual decomposition of rubber at high temperatures. Consequently, in order to avoid the drawbacks introduced by rubber, a rubber content of more than 4% is not recommended considering the mechanical and fracture performance of RRAC.