Application of discarded tire steel for improving the sustainability of concrete structures

Abstract

: The use of fibers is crucial for the sustainability enhancement of concrete structures. However, the commonly used commercial fibers are costly, and their production involves the generation of CO 2 . On the other hand, the accumulation of discarded tire steel fibers (DSFs) is a big hurdle in the sustainability enhancement of modern society. Therefore, it is vital to study the effectiveness of steel fibers recovered from discarded tires (DSF) for potential applications in the construction industry. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effectiveness of DSFs in achieving sustainable concrete structures. As a preliminary study, the linear shrinkage (LS) and indirect tensile strength (TS) of the DSF-reinforced concrete (DFRC) are examined. 0.30% and 0.75% of the DSFs are incorporated into concrete by volume fraction. Plain concrete (PC) is used as a reference. All tests are carried out following the ASTM standard. An improvement of 16% is noted in the TS of DFRCs compared to PC. The LS of DFRC decreased by 34% compared to the LS of PC. Therefore, it can be concluded that the DSFs can improve the sustainability of concrete structures. Therefore, it is recommended to study the long-term durability of DSF-reinforced concrete structures for practical implementation.