Compressive strength, abrasion resistance and energy absorption capacity of rubberized concretes with and without slag

It has been estimated that around one billion tires are withdrawn from use in the world every year. Therefore, the development of new techniques for recycling waste tires is necessary. A number of innovative solutions that meet the challenge of the tire disposal problem involve using waste as an additive to cement-based materials. In this study, an experimental program was carried out to determine the compressive strength, abrasion resistance, and energy absorption capacity of rubberized concretes with and without ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS). For this purpose, a water–binder ratio (0.4), four designated levels of crumb rubber (CR) contents (0, 5, 15 and 25% by fine aggregate volume), and three levels of GGBFS content (0, 20, and 40%) were considered as experimental parameters. In total, 12 concrete mixtures were cast and tested for compressive strength, abrasion resistance, and energy absorption capacity. Test results indicate that using CR aggregate decreases compressive strength and abrasion resistance of the concretes, but increases energy absorption capacity significantly.