Mechanical and thermal properties of light-weight concrete with incorporated waste tire rubber as coarse aggregate

Abstract

The amount of waste tires is still growing worldwide. As landfill is still a significant part of the used tires management, there is a need to look for an environmentally-friendly alternative. This may be the use of waste tire rubber in civil engineering for partial substitution of natural aggregate in concrete production. This paper is focused on the experimental investigation of tire rubber-based aggregate, which was used as a partial replacement of coarse natural aggregate to develop light-weight rubberized concrete with improved thermal insulation properties. First, the assessment of both natural and rubber aggregates was done in terms of their physical and thermal parameters. The basic structural properties, mechanical resistance, and thermal conductivity measurements were conducted for rubber concrete evaluation. The thermal conductivity was studied from the dry to fully water saturated state. The developed rubberized concrete materials showed improved thermal insulation performance, even in the presence of moisture. The mechanical strength of rubberized concretes was mostly sufficient for non-structural applications, such as multi-layered floor structures or wall insulation panels.