Initial Assessment of Liquefied Scrap Tire Concrete

Abstract

A new approach to incorporate scrap tire material into concrete was investigated, in which two reclaimed waste tire components, carbon black and fuel oil, were used to replace a portion of water. The effect of liquid tire content to water ratios from 5% to 40% on an otherwise typical concrete mix were assessed, and compressive and flexural strength, flexural toughness, modulus of elasticity, and several fresh concrete properties were determined. Results were compared with typically expected results of traditional shredded tire mixes with equivalent tire content. It was found that the liquid tire mixes had significantly smaller losses of compressive strength and workability than did shredded rubber mixes; increased flexural strength compared with traditional concrete mix; and significantly decreased stiffness compared with traditional and shredded tire mixes.