Improving mechanical and durability properties of waste tire rubber concrete using compression casting method

Abstract

The incorporation of waste tire rubber in concrete offers notable environmental and economic benefits. However, its application is limited by strength loss and durability concerns, especially with coarse rubber aggregates. To address these performance limitations, a novel compression casting method is employed in this study. Concrete mixtures containing 0–40 % chipped rubber as partial replacement for natural coarse aggregate were evaluated in terms of compressive strength, elastic modulus, splitting tensile strength, water sorptivity, chloride permeability, and carbonation resistance. Results revealed that increasing the rubber content from 0 % to 40 % led to pronounced reductions in the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of conventional rubber concrete, by up to 70 % and 45 %, respectively, while increasing the carbonation depth by up to 20 %. In contrast, compression casting rubber concrete with a 20 % rubber replacement achieved improvements of 99 % in compressive strength, 74 % in splitting tensile strength, and 65 % in carbonation resistance compared with its conventional casting counterpart. It also demonstrated reduced water sorptivity and enhanced resistance to chloride penetration. This study confirms that compression casting is an effective method for producing structurally reliable rubber concrete, advancing the sustainable reuse of waste rubber in construction.