Assessment of mechanical and durability properties of concrete containing waste rubber tire as fine aggregate

Now a day's natural sand is becoming scarcer and costlier due to its non-availability. Waste rubber tire as fine aggregates can be an economical and sustainable alternative to river sand. In this study attempt has been made to utilize waste rubber tire as partial replacement of fine aggregate in the form of rubber ash and rubber ash with rubber fibers (combined form) with three w/c ratios. Workability, compressive strength, flexural strength, density, water absorption, abrasion resistance, carbonation depth, static modulus of elasticity, dynamic modulus of elasticity and chloride ion penetration of rubber ash concrete and modified concrete (10% rubber ash and varied percentage of rubber fibers) have been obtained. Micro-structural study using XRD, EDAX and SEM has also been carried out in this work. It has been shown that flexural strength of rubber ash concrete decreases with the increase of percentage of rubber ash whereas flexural strength of modified concrete is increased with the increase of the percentage of rubber fibers content. The abrasion resistance, carbonation depth, modulus of elasticity and chloride ion penetration of rubber ash concrete and modified concrete were also affected by addition of rubber ash and rubber fibers in concrete. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.