Mechanical properties investigation on recycled rubber desert sand concrete

Abstract

The mechanical properties of recycled rubber desert sand concrete were studied to determine the effect of the replacement rate of recycled rubber and desert sand. The replacement rates of recycled rubber aggregates were set to 0 %, 5 %, 10 %, and 15 %, respectively, and for dessert sand aggregates were set to 0 %, 10 %, 20 %, and 30 %, respectively, during concrete preparation. The concrete's compressive, tensile, and freeze-thaw mechanical properties were tested at each replacement rate. The experimental results show that when the replacement rate of desert sand increases from 0 % to 30 %, the replacement rate of recycled rubber is 15 %, and the splitting tensile strength of concrete shows a pattern of first increasing and then decreasing. When the replacement rate for desert sand is 30 %, the replacement rate for recycled rubber rises from 0 % to 15 %, and the splitting tensile strength shows a pattern of first decreasing. With replacement rates of 10 percent for recycled rubber aggregate and 20 percent for desert sand aggregate, the damage to the concrete from external forces is relatively ideal. The compressive strength values are the highest, and the split tensile strength is the best, demonstrating good compressive and tensile strength. The results of CO₂ emission analysis show that as the amount of recycled rubber increases, the CO₂ emissions per unit volume of concrete also increase. The interface of the micro-optical structure in the concrete is straightforward, the pores are few, and it exhibits good mechanical properties. The concrete undergoes freeze-thaw cycles with relatively stable changes in compressive strength and split tensile strength, demonstrating a solid freeze-thaw resistive mechanical property.