Abstract

Concrete has remained challenging to replace for an extended period due to its inherent strength and minimal maintenance needs over the lifespan of structures, coupled with its versatile applications in various infrastructure projects such as foundations, superstructures, and more. Additionally, concrete components, including fine crushed rock and river sand, are readily accessible in the environment. Recently, waste crumb rubber tyres have emerged as a readily available aggregates option. A True Experimental Research Design method was employed in this study. Concrete was prepared using cement, coarse crushed rock, fine crushed rock, and water, without the use of admixtures, additives, or any other agents, in order to exclusively assess the impact of waste crumb rubber tyres on both fresh and hardened properties. Crumb rubber concrete (CRC) was created by substituting waste crumb rubber tyres for natural fine crushed rock in ratios of 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40% by weight, within the range of 0 to 2.36 mm. Among the CRC samples studied in this research, 10-CRC, which denotes concrete where 10% of the fine aggregates is replaced with waste crumb rubber tyres, exhibited the best performance. This determination was based on its workability, air content, unit weight, compressive and flexural strength, and rate of water absorption.

Key words: Concrete, environment, aggregates, crumb rubber, tyres, fresh, hardened.