Magnesium Oxychloride Cement Concrete with Recycled Tire Rubber

Abstract

Either portland cement or magnesium oxychloride cement was used as binders for concretes that incorporated fine rubber aggregate, ranging from 0 to 25 percent by volume. The concretes were tested for their compressive and split tensile strengths to determine whether the use of a magnesium oxychloride cement along with recycled tire rubbers would improve concrete properties. Failure of the concrete around the rubber particles was attributed to tension failure, leading to weak shear failure of the concrete matrix. Both portland and magnesium oxychloride cement concretes lost 90 percent of their compressive strength with 25 percent rubber by volume. The portland cement concrete retained 20 percent of its tensile strength, and the magnesium oxychloride cement concrete retained 35 percent of its tensile strength. Both compressive and tensile strengths of magnesium oxychloride cement rubber concrete were significantly higher than rubberized portland cement rubber concrete.