PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE WITH FIBRES FROM RECYCLED TYRES

ABSTRACT

Due to EU environmental legislation focused on the reduction of waste, all post-consumer tyres must be reused, retreated or recycled. Rubber derived from post-consumer tyres is utilised in a number of engineering applications, however the market solutions for steel components are still not discovered. The main objective of the research was to develop the method of the valuable steel tyre cord application in the construction sector. Studies were conducted on recycled fibres modified concrete properties to examine the feasibility of recycled steel fibres (RSF) to the concrete mix and to compare it with industrially produced steel fibres (ISF).
The research program included the investigation of mechanical properties (compressive strength, tensile strength, abrasion resistance, bond strength, and shrinkage) of concrete without any fibres (NC), concrete modified with the industrial steel fibers (SFRC) and concrete modified with the fibers derived from recycled post-consumer tyres (RSFRC). In order to analyze the post-cracking performance of concrete reinforced with fibers from post-consumer tyres, flexural tests were carried out under CMOD (Crack Mouth Opening Displacement) control.
The authors demonstrated that the fibres from recycled car tyres are a promising material for reinforcing cement matrix and can be implemented as the replacement of industrially produced fibres in concrete. The results of investigations prove that the novel RSFRC have the potential for the environmentally friendly way of dealing with tyre steel components. In addition, the demonstrated economic benefits of RSFRC could encourage the private sector to make significant advances in circular economy though a higher amount of recycled materials used in construction.

Keywords: steel fibres from used tyres, Steel Fibre Reinforcing Concrete, mechanical properties of concrete