Structural behavior of rubberized masonry walls

Major environmental problems are resulted worldwide from the disposal of worn out tires that are no longer suitable for use in vehicles. Hence, it is essential to reuse/recycle this waste for clean environment. This paper was carried out to evaluate the effect of recycling scrap tire rubber as aggregate on the properties of solid cement bricks and consequently on the structural behavior of masonry walls under compression. Two sizes of rubber were used to replace conventional coarse and fine aggregates in the production of the bricks. The experimental work was divided into two phases; the first phase included the production of the bricks and investigating their properties. It consisted of twenty-two mixes with 250 and 300 kg/m3 cement contents. The content of coarse and fine rubber was 0-100% and 0-50% by volume of coarse and fine aggregates, respectively. The second phase included the assessment of the structural behavior of rubberized masonry walls. Eight masonry walls were constructed and tested to evaluate the structural behavior of rubberized masonry walls and their main characteristics. The results indicated that the size and content of rubber have a significant impact on the properties of the bricks and subsequently on the structural behavior of masonry walls. There is a great potential for the utilization of scrap tires in the production of solid cement bricks suitable for use as load bearing and non-load bearing units. This innovative application will open a new field for the recycling of considerable amounts of waste tire rubber for cleaner environment.