An Experimental Investigation of Dynamic Properties of Fiber-Reinforced Tire-Derived Lightweight-Aggregate Concrete

This paper presents the results of an experimental study to investigate dynamic properties of polypropylene fiber-reinforced concrete beams with lightweight expanded shale (ES) and tire-derived aggregates (TDA). The mixture design followed past experiences in combining ES and TDA to enhance toughness and energy absorption in flexural behavior. The new mixture also contained 2% fiber by volume to improve such properties further. Experiments included compressive testing on cylindrical specimens as well as flexural testing on rectangular specimens to verify mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced tire-derived lightweight aggregate concrete (FRTDLWAC) subject to static loading. The results of these experiments confirmed reduction of mechanical strength due to addition of TDA and improvements in flexural strength due to fiber reinforcement. The dynamic testing included non-destructive impact loads applied to flexural specimens using a standard Schmidt hammer. A high-speed camera recorded the response of the system at 200 frames per second to allow detailed observations and measurements. Interpretation of energy-based dynamic results revealed that TDA enhances energy absorption through damping in flexural behavior. Results also indicated that fiber reinforcement reduces the amount of absorbed dynamic energy, even though; it enhances the absorbed strain energy due to crack bridging effect.