Experimental Studies on Crumbed Rubber as fine aggregate in Structural Concrete

Crumbed rubber concrete (CRC) is a new material on the construction industry. It is developed by replacing sand with rubber particles when mixing concrete, the material provides and promises to significantly reduce certain environmental impacts. Sand is a vital component in giving concrete the necessary consistency and chemical properties, yet it is becoming increasingly depleted worldwide. As we continue to construct roads, buildings and industry at an accelerating rate, the demand for sand is forcing mining companies to cause damage to natural ecosystems, particularly in sandy habitats such as beaches and rivers. One potential solution to both of these issues could come in the form of crumbed rubber concrete (CRC). This material can be created by first grinding up end-of-life tyres into small particles with a similar consistency to sand. This ‘crumbed’ rubber can then replace a certain percentage of the sand used in the concrete mixing process – both giving the economic usefulness of tyre rubber a new lease of life while alleviating some of the demand for natural sand. In this research study, the use of crumb rubber to replace fine aggregates in concrete was studied. It is aimed that concrete acting as a binder mixed with crumb rubber can make concrete more flexible and thus, provide softness to the surface. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the mechanical properties of concrete when crumb rubber is used as partial replacement of fine aggregate in different percentage (5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%) by volume. A comparison was also made between mixtures containing various percentages of crumb rubber to determine the optimum crumb rubber content and the test results also compared with conventional concrete (without crumb rubber).