Use of Recycled Tyre Rubber in Non-structural Concrete

To manage tyre waste and conserve natural aggregate resource, this research investigates the use of waste tyre rubber as partial replacement of fine aggregates in non-structural concrete. The research used Taguchi method to study the influence of mix proportion, water-to-cement ratio and tyre rubber replacement percentage on concrete. Nine mixes were prepared with mix proportion of 1:2:4, 1:5:4 and 1:2.5:3; water-to-cement ratio of 0.25, 0.35 and 0.40 and rubber to fine aggregate replacement of 20%, 30% and 40%. Compressive strength and water absorption tests were carried out on 100 mm cubes. Compressive strength was directly proportional to the amount of coarse aggregate in the mix. Water-to-cement ratio increased the strength within the range used in the study. Strength was found to be more sensitive to the overall rubber content than the replacement ratio. Seven out of the nine mixes satisfied the minimum strength requirement for concrete blocks set by ASTM. Water absorption and density for all mixes satisfied the limits applicable for concrete blocks. The study indicates that mix proportions with fine to coarse aggregate ratio of less than 1.0 and w/c ratio around 0.40 can be used with tyre rubber replacements of up to 30 % to satisfy requirements for non-structural concrete.