Investigation of the Effect of Crumb Rubber on the Static and Dynamic Response of Reinforced Concrete Panels

Abstract

Increasing the mass of a wall system as well as the ability to absorb energy can improve the blast resistance. The role of ductile materials attached externally to the wall tension side has been studied extensively to improve ductility and resistance. In the present study, the use of hyperelastic materials, added internally to wall systems, was analyzed to determine the static resistance of those systems. In this paper, adding shredded rubber to the concrete mix as a replacement for coarse aggregates traditionally used in designing concrete mixes was investigated. The use of shredded rubber to replace coarse aggregates is hypothesized to enhance the concrete wall panels’ blast-resistant by increasing the ductility. In the evaluation of rubber contents, the normal concrete design without rubber was compared to concrete mixes with two rubber contents. Static resistance functions were developed by evaluating the performance of concrete cylinders and concrete wall full-scale specimens with coarse aggregate partially replaced by rubber under simulated uniform loading by a loading tree. According to the results of the test, there was a reduction in compressive strength of specimens due to rubber, which caused the specimens to crack more easily during testing. Increased rubber content decreased the walls’ maximum load and overall resistance. Furthermore, the mode of failure of rubberized concrete specimens was significantly different from those without any rubber.