Investigating the mechanical and fracture properties of rubberized concretes

The mechanical and fracture properties of rubberized concretes were investigated experimentally in this study. The concretes were produced with two types, crumb rubber and tire chips, of waste scrap tire rubber. The crumb rubber and tire chips were replaced with fine and coarse aggregate, respectively. The each type of rubber was replaced with aggregate by six replacement levels of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% in the rubberized concrete productions. The mechanical properties of the rubberized concretes investigated through compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, steel-concrete bond strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity, besides the fracture properties were examined according to fracture energy and characteristic length. The results indicated that utilization of rubber significantly affected the mechanical properties of concrete as well as fracture properties. The compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of concretes decreased with increasing the rubber content. However, it was that utilization of rubber increased the ductility of concrete during compressive failure. Keywords: Concrete; Fracture energy; Mechanical properties; Tire rubber