Reuse of tire waste in light concrete

Lightweight concrete is characterized by its low density due to the incorporation of lightweight materials such as aggregate clay or lightweight materials in general. In the city of Aracaju there are companies that promote tire reconditioning generating large amount of waste powder. This study aims to study the reuse of tire rubber waste in lightweight aggregate clay concrete. An experimental program for the analysis of these concretes was developed, varying the percentage of 1, 2.5 and 5% of the tire rubber residue in replacement of the natural fine aggregate and replacing 100% of the natural coarse aggregate with expanded clay aggregate(50% C1506 expanded clay aggregateand 50% expanded clay aggregateC2215). The materials (cement, sand, expanded clays and tire rubber residue) were characterized by granulometric analysis tests and unit mass. The hardened concrete was evaluated by mechanical tests of axial compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and tensile strength by diametral compression, physical tests of water absorption and specific mass, as well as scanning electron microscopy image analysis. The use of expanded clay aggregateand 1% of tire rubber residue ensured better mechanical strength, lower water absorption and higher specific mass than mixtures with 2.5 and 5%, reaching values close to the reference concrete, and the residue be an alternative for reuse avoiding disposal.