Investigation of properties and performances of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) fiber-reinforced rubber concrete

In this study, the Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) fiber was introduced to improve the performance of the rubberized concrete. This study experimentally investigated the mechanical performance and durability of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) fiber-reinforced rubber concrete. The waste rubber particles (mesh size #10-#30) were selected to partially replace fine aggregates in the plain concrete. In addition, the rubber particles were pre-treated with an alkali solution to enhance the interface bond with cement paste. The fiber-reinforced rubber concrete samples were prepared with different fine aggregate replacement ratios based on the volume of fine aggregate (15%, 20%, and 25%) and a selected fiber content (0.5% based on the total volume of the mixture). For those samples, the mechanical properties, including compressive strength, flexural behavior, and fracture energy were evaluated to compare with control samples. The results showed that fiber-reinforced samples can largely improve the post-cracking extension and fracture energy. The results of electrical resistivity test indicated the reduced permeability in the fiber reinforced rubber concrete. The durability performance including Alkali-Silica reaction (ASR) expansion, drying shrinkage and freeze-thaw resistance were also investigated and compared with the control samples. All the durability performances were enhanced through rubber stress release and fiber crack bridging. Therefore, the PVA-fiber reinforced rubber concrete can improve durability and ductility of cementitious materials for structure construction and also can facilitate the recycling of waste rubber into cementitious materials. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.