A comprehensive review on the application of renewable waste tire rubbers and fibers in sustainable concrete

Abstract

Modern civilization is currently steering toward sustainability due to environmental issues, such as the diminution of natural resources and the spawning of enormous wastes. Waste like discarded vehicle tires sets off severe concern for the environment and renewing them in the form of alternative concrete aggregates is an insistent move towards sustainability. However, the inclusion of waste rubber particles in concrete adversely affects its mechanical properties. Notably, introducing fibers to the rubberized concrete (RuC) has proved to be an innovative solution in addressing its drawbacks. Indeed, fiber-reinforced rubberized concrete (FRRuC) behaves differently than normal concrete and RuC. Although numerous studies have focused on RuC; however, none of them reviewed FRRuC, a major gap in concrete research. Therefore, this study aims to shed light on the underlying integrated applications of fibers and waste rubbers to advance the construction sector. Since the mix proportion of FRRuC is an initial challenge, this study provides a comprehensive overview of manufacturing FRRuC from different fiber types, configurations, contents, and strengths depending on various rubber sizes and replacement levels. Mechanical properties such as compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, splitting tensile, and flexural strength are critically reviewed and discussed. Apart from enhancing the static behaviors, fibers also significantly affect the dynamic responses of FRRuC. Hence, the dynamic behaviors, including dynamic stress-strain relationships, toughness, impact resistance, and post-cracking behavior, are extensively examined and reported. Finally, this paper proposes potential recommendations based on the critical analysis for future researchers who intend to study the improvement of FRRuC.