The utilization of pulverized waste tire rubber in a soil–cement composite for sustainable compressed earth brick production

Abstract

This study examined the suitability of blending waste tires with cement in indigenous soil for producing compressed earth bricks (CEB) to achieve a sustainable environment. CEB was produced with clay soil and a combination of cement at 5 and 10% levels with varying dosages of pulverized waste tire at 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10% mixture. Classification tests were conducted to determine engineering properties such as the particle size distribution, Atterberg limit, specific gravity, optimum moisture and unit weight of the soil. The physical properties of the pulverized tire were evaluated. Moreover, density, water absorption, and compressive strength were determined for hardened CEB samples produced from mixtures of soil and various proportions of blended cement and pulverized waste tire materials. The classification results showed that the soil was silty clay of low plasticity. The density of the CEB samples was observed to increase slightly with the addition of blended cement-tire residue. Furthermore, a considerable improvement in the compressive strength development of the CEB was observed; however, compared with those of the control, the peak compressive strength of the CEB samples was greater when the soil was stabilized with 7.5% pulverized waste tire material and 10% cement. A decrease in the water absorption capacity of CEB was observed with an increase in the amount of pulverized waste tire and cement in the soil mixture. The response models corroborate the experimental findings indicating that amount of waste tire rubber residue and cement had significant effects on the CEB performance. This study ensure the beneficial recycling of waste tires blended with cement in soil for making medium-strength CEB to achieve sustainable, resilient masonry construction applications.Graphical