Performance of Rubberized and Hybrid Rubberized Concrete Structures under Static and Impact Load Conditions

In this study, rubberized concrete samples were prepared by partial substitution (5 %, 10 % and 20 % replacements by volume) of sand by waste crumb rubber, and tested under impact three-point bending load, as well as static load. Three types of specimens (size 50 x 100 x 500 mm) namely, plain concrete, rubberized concrete, and double layer concrete (with rubberized concrete top and plain concrete bottom) were loaded to failure in a drop-weight impact machine by subjecting to 20 N weight from a height of 300 mm, and another three similar specimens were used for the static load test. In both the tests, the load-displacement and fracture energy of each specimen were investigated. Finite-element simulations were also performed to study the dynamic behaviors of the samples, by using LUSAS V.14 software. It was noticed that, the impact tup, and inertial and bending loads increased with the increase in the percentage of sand replacement by crumb rubber. It was interesting to observe that these effects were more significant in the double layer specimen compared to the plain and rubberized concrete samples. The static peak bending load always decreased with increase of rubber in the mix. In general, the strength and energy absorbing capability of rubberized concrete was better under impact loading than under static loading. The simulated load against displacement behaviors of all the samples were validated by the experimental results.