Mechanical Properties, Durability, and Structural Applications of Rubber Concrete: A State-of-the-Art-Review

Abstract

Substituting rubber particles for a portion of the standard coarse aggregates in concrete is regarded as a sustainable solution for tackling the issue of waste-tires disposal. In order to assess the structural performance of rubber concrete (RC), many studies have been conducted on the proportions, mechanical properties, curing conditions, usages, and serviceability performance of the material over the decades. This review systematically summarizes the mechanical properties (e.g., static and dynamic), testing method, and durability of RC, emphasizing its dynamic characteristics from the perspectives of material and component. The inclusion of rubber particles weakens the static properties of the concrete, while the low module of inherent rubbers improves the concrete dynamic properties, such as low stiffness degradation, high strain-rate sensitivity, excellent energy dissipations, and good ductility. With the increase in the strain rate, the improvement in energy absorption and ductility of the RC (0 to 30%) can increase to 110% and 80%, respectively. Concrete with a rubber volume fraction of less than 30% enhances both mechanical and long-term environmental performances. Moreover, RC shows good fire resistance, permeability, and freeze–thaw behavior; however, further research is needed to understand its constitutive model and the synergistic effects of additional materials.

Durability of Rubberized Concrete with Recycled Steel Fibers from Tyre Recycling in Aggresive Enviroments

“…Pre-compressed rubber can reduce air voids and therefore permeability and absorption by immersion pof RuC, increasing its resistance to sulphate attack and chloride ion penetration [60]. Attending to the literature, to improve durability of RuC with FCR, more attention must be paid to the ITZ improvement, through the use of air-detraining admixtures that reduce the amount of air trapped [33] or pozzolanic fillers (fly ash, metakaolin or Silica Fume) which reduce ITZ width [39], permeability of the matrix and fill voids showing a more homogeneous microstructure and less cracking in the boundary between hydratation products and aggregates [26,35,37,39,40,62]. It can be more efficiently improved when combined with a previous treatment of rubber, such as water cleaning (to eliminate dust from recycling and store process) and later a bath in acid dissolution to guarantee a better bond between rubber and cementitious matrix (obtaining a more rough and less hydrophobic rubber surface).…”

Effects of Different Die Metals on the Performance and Friction and Wear of Composite Materials during the Extrusion Process

“…Rubber dynamic mechanical properties were tested under the following conditions: temperature range −65 to 65 °C, heating rate of 2 °C/min, maximum dynamic load of 40 N, testing frequency of 10 Hz, and testing carried out using a dual cantilever test mode under liquid nitrogen protection [ 52 , 53 , 54 ].…”

Application of Waste Tire in Construction: A Road towards Sustainability and Circular Economy

“…All these materials have been classified as replacements or additives. Due to the wide interest in rubberized concrete, several hundred articles (above 1100 based on the Web of Science, September 2023, combining "recycled rubber" with "concrete") have been published, which can be regrouped into a dozen review articles over the last two years [56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63]. The main results are reported here.…”