The rapid growth in waste tire disposal has become a severe environmental concern in recent decades. Recycling rubber and steel fibers from wasted tires as construction materials helps counteract this imminent environmental crisis, mainly improving the performance of cement-based materials. Consequently, the present article aims to evaluate the potential use of waste tire steel fibers (i.e., WTSF) incorporated in the manufacture of soil–cement blocks, considering their compressive resistance as a primary output variable of comparison. The experimental methodology applied in this study comprised the elaboration of threefold mixtures of soil–cement blocks, all of them with 10% by weight in Portland cement, but with different volumetric additions of WTSF (i.e., 0%, 0.75%, and 1.5%). The assessment’s outcomes revealed that the addition of 0.75% WTSF does not have a statistically significant influence on the compressive resistance of the samples. On the contrary, specimens with 1.5% WTSF displayed a 20% increase (on average) in their compressive strength. All the tested samples’ results exhibited good agreement with the minimum requirements of the different standards considered. The compressive resistance was evaluated in the first place because it is the primary provision demanded by the specifications for applying soil–cement materials in building constructions. However, further research on the physical and mechanical properties of WTSF soil–cement blocks is compulsory; an assessment of the durability of soil–cement blocks with WTSF should also be carried out.
The objective of this study is to evaluate the physical and mechanical properties of concrete with waste tire rubber (WTR) as a partial substitute for sand, considering local materials from the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia, to promote a circular economy. The sand was replaced by WTR (in volume) in four percentages: 0% (reference), 5%, 10%, and 20%, evaluating its mechanical properties (resistance to compression, traction, and bending) and physical properties (specific mass, water absorption, and void index). The results indicate that there is a tendency to decrease with a higher percentage of WTR, both for mechanical resistance and for physical properties, except for the mixture with 5% WTR, which had results comparable to concrete with natural sand. WTR can be used in the local production of concrete up to 5% without compromising its mechanical and physical properties, in addition to having a sustainable approach.
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