Comprehensive Study on Rubber Particle Size and Replacement Ratio on Fresh and Hardened Properties of Rubberized Concrete: A Review

Abstract

The black pollution caused by the accumulation of Waste Tire Rubber (WTR) has engendered significant environmental and social consequences throughout the world by emphasizing the requirement of introducing a new approach to recycling WTR effectively. The recent research findings towards the utilization of End-of-Life Tires (ELT) to replace the Natural Aggregate (NA) in concrete have facilitated a promising way to handle the WTR while reducing the consumption of natural raw materials in the construction industry. However, the weak Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ) between rubber aggregate and cement paste reduces the properties of Rubberized Concrete (RuC) and hinders its commercial usage. Among the many factors, the rubber particle size, shape, and Replacement Ratio (RR) significantly influence the performance of RuC. This paper reviews previous research findings relevant to the effect of the rubber particle size, shape, and percentage replaced in the concrete mix to pinpoint the further research gaps to be investigated. Overall, the previous findings indicate that the tire aggregate inclusion at a low level of replacement in the form of crumb rubber resulted in improved ductility and toughness with marginal impacts on workability, strength, and other mechanical properties of concrete compared to the control mix without WTR.