Comparative Study of the Lightening of Concrete Through the Use of Recycled Tire Rubber and Expanded Clay Aggregate

The waste of tire rubber is characterized by the generation of huge amounts, which is annually discarded. This waste causes problems for human health and the environment. Thus, the valorization of recycled tire rubber in concrete production is considered as an alternative and sustainable solution. This experimental work is a comparative study, which aims to investigate the possibility of using recycled tire rubber as a fine aggregate in the production of lightweight concrete. To achieve this objective, two types of lightweight concrete containing (35, 70 and 100%) of expanded clay and (5, 10 and 15%) of recycled tire rubber as a fine aggregate were produced. Their fresh properties were investigated using slump, density and air content tests, while the hardened properties were investigated by compressive strength, flexural strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and water absorption tests. The results obtained showed that the utilization of both expanded clay aggregate and recycled tire rubber leads to a reduction in density and mechanical strength but increases the porosity of lightweight concrete. However, the lightweight concrete containing the expanded clay aggregate had a higher efficiency factor than those containing recycled tire rubber.