Sustainability of using waste rubber in concrete

Abstract

Abstract Rubber from scrap tires is one of the most recent waste materials investigated for its potential use in the construction field. Traditionally, tires have been stockpiled or illegally dumped or landfilled. However, none of them is a long-term solution. During the last two decades, international research interest in the properties and potential uses for rubberized concrete has steadily grown. The main purpose of aggregating rubber is to increase concrete’s ductility and capacity to absorb energy. This chapter describes the knowledge on the role of waste rubber on mechanical and durability performance of rubberized concrete specimens. The research findings showed that because aggregates are partially replaced with relatively weaker rubber, a reduction in mechanical performance is anticipated. However, some durability properties of concrete such as freeze–thaw and abrasion resistance are increased by using waste rubbers in concrete. The use of recycled tire rubber in concrete mixtures would not only make good use of an otherwise waste material and help alleviate disposal problems, but also can improve certain properties of concrete for particular design applications.