Study on Crumb Rubber Concrete using GGBS &

Nano- TiO2
1
Shreyas L. Bedagkar 2
Sudhanshu S. Pathak
Student, Department of Civil Engineering Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
D. Y. Patil College of Engineering, Akurdi, D. Y. Patil College of Engineering, Akurdi
Pune, India. Pune, India.
e-mail: shreyh2211@[Link] e-mail: pathaksudhanshu2009@[Link]
Address- B-406 Palaash Icon, Udyog Nagar, Address- Flat no. 18, Soham Residency, Laxmi Nagar,
Chinchwad-411033 Chinchwad- 411033

Abstract: Nowadays there is one of the major environmental reinforcing and prestressing technique has gained its
challenges is to dispose waste rubber tyres. To sort with this concern widespread use, strength, durability and workability may be
several studies and tests are being carried out on the waste rubber considered as the main properties of concrete. In addition good
tyres. The tests are done on the rubber granulates and crumb rubber
concrete is able to resist wear and corrosion and it should be
in partial replacements or additions in the concrete. These waste
water- tight and economical. The Concrete must be strong
rubber tyres acquire landfill spaces, so scientist and engineers are
carrying out study on the use of crumb rubber in construction enough to withstand without injury all the imposed stresses
building materials. Cement Concrete in one of the main material in with required factor of safety. To develop a given strength
building construction which consists of cement, coarse aggregate, longer time of moisture curing is required at lower temperature
fine aggregate and water. The use of crumb rubber in partial than is necessary while curing is done at higher temperature.
replacement with fine aggregate in concrete can reduce the cost and
enhance the performance of concrete. Ground granulated blast Crumb Rubber Concrete is the concrete made out of piece
furnace slag (GGBS) is highly cementitious material high in calcium elastic tyre chips and scrap elastic where utilized to supplant
silicate hydrate which is strength enhancing compound which
mineral today in cement. The common use of waste rubber
improves durability and appearance of concrete. Replacement of
specifically tyre chips have been in highway asphalt mixes.
maximum 50% of concrete with GGBS provides high durability and
strength of concrete. Nano- TiO2, a nano material which in powder Material characterization experiments have been conducted to
form used in the concrete for increasing the rate of hydration due to determine the practicality of using rubber in Concrete. Research
which the porosity in the concrete decreases and becomes more has shown that replacement of conventional aggregates with
denser and durable. In this experimental approach Crumb rubber rubber results in a decrease in compressive strength and tensile
and GGBS is partial replaced with Fine Aggregate and Cement. strength and stiffness. Eldin and senouci (1993) performed
Nano- TiO2 is used for better performance of the concrete. tension and compression test on two types of cylinders, with
Customized Concrete is studied with mechanical properties of potions of the coarse or fine aggregate replaced with rubber.
concrete and Workability of concrete. The Partial Replacement are
They observed tensile strength decreases of 50% and
carried with replacement of Crumb Rubber (5%, 10%, 15%, 25%)
compressive strength reduction of up to 85% however noted
with fine aggregates, GGBS (30%) and Fly-Ash (25%) with cement
and TiO2 as a additional to improve the quality of prepared concrete. that the rubberized concrete absorbed a great amount of plastic
The main aspect of this study is to waste management of rubber tyres energy.
and proper use of the same in improvement in quality of cement. This
study concludes that the strength of concrete gradually increases Based on the published literature on crumb rubber concrete
after 28 days of curing under water with comparison to conventional (CRC) it is apparent that the ductility and energy absorption is
concrete. enhanced over that of the conventional concrete. These
Keywords- Fine aggregate, GGBSS, Crumb rubber, TiO2, characteristics may prove beneficial for applications where
Mechanical Properties, Partial Replacement. dynamic blast pressure demands are a concern. Concrete can be
made cheaper by replacing a fixed percentage of fine aggregate
with crumb rubbers from rubber waste. These rubber crumbs
I. INTRODUCTION can be achieved through the process called continuous
shredding, which is done to create crumbs small enough to
Concrete is one of the most widely used construction today. replace aggregates as fine as sand effectively. Such kind of
More than 90% of the structures ranging from buildings, concrete can be used in manufacturing process of reinforced
bridges, roads, dams, retaining walls etc. utilise the concrete for pavement and bridge structures because this behaviour
their construction. The versality and mould ability of this resistance to frost and ice thawing.
material, its high compressive strength and discovery of
In Present scenario, the disposal of waste tyre rubber is a major density is taken as 1000 kg/m3 and a pH of 6.2 with TDS of
concern in waste management throughout the world. It is less than 500 ppm with clear and no color. The water is
estimated that around 1.2 billion of waste tyre rubber is stored in plastic containers and closed with a cap to avoid
produced per year around the world. It is also estimated that dust or foreign particles entry before mixing with concrete.
around 11% of tyres are exported post consumption and 27% According to IS: 2386 (Part I 1963) the fineness modulus
are piled as landfill, stockpiled or dumped illegally and only 4% range for medium sand the value is 2.6 to 2.9, Thus we can
of it is utilized for civil engineering works. Hence, efforts have replace the fine aggregate with crumb rubber as medium
been made to identify the potential of this waste tyre rubber in sand. For casting of cubes, moulds of size (150X150X150)
civil engineering projects. Our present study aims to investigate mm made of cast iron are used. These Cubes are used to
in the same context i.e. the optimal use of crumb rubber as fine obtain compressive strength. For casting beam moulds of
aggregate in concrete composite. With the increase in (150X150X700) mm made of cast iron. These Beams
urbanization in countries like India the environmental threat. specimens are used to obtain flexure strength of concrete.
This study shows us an alternative way of recycling tyres by
incorporating them into the concrete. The Concept that if
E. Crumb Rubber:
problem emerges from urbanization and the solution must go
along with it should also be appreciated. Therefore, the aim of Crumb Rubber is recycled rubber produced from automotive
this study is to introduced an environmental friendly and truck scrap tyres. During the recycling process steel and
technology, which will benefit the society and the nation. tyre cord are removed, leaving the rubber with a granular
consistency. Continued processing with a granulator or cracker
mill, possibly with the aid of cryogenics or mechanical means,
II. MATERIALS AND METHODS reduces the size of particles further. The particles are sized and
classified based on the various criteria including color. The
A. Cement: granulate is sized by passing through a screen, the size based on
Cement used in this study is ordinary Portland cement a dimension (1/4 inch) or mesh (holes per inch: 10 20).
obtained from local supplier and of 53 grade as per IS 11269
it has a specific gravity of 3.15 with fineness (IS:4031- When dealing with asphalt overlays, reflection cracks can arise
PART 1-1996) is less than 5% and have good specific and cause an unwanted cracks pattern beneath the pavement.
surface area of more than 600 m 2/ kg. The cement obtained Rubber modified asphalt uses the stress absorbing membranes
is stored in airtight environment without moisture entry and that reduces the reflective cracking because of its elastic
formation of lumps is avoided. properties. With fewer cracks, there are fewer repairs, so crumb
rubber assists in reducing maintenance costs. The pavement has
B. Fine aggregate: an increased lifespan because after multiple uses and exposures
to different elements, regular asphalts losses elasticity over
Fine aggregate used in this study is obtained from nearby
time. The use of the artificial rubber resists the formation of
source and its clean river sand adhering to the norms
cracks and has an anti-aging effect that keeps the asphalt in a
prescribed in IS:383 and it confirms to Zone-II with a
better condition. The tyre crumbs are poured in between the
specific gravity of 2.68 and free from any foreign particles.
artificial grass blades, giving the artificial fields more cushion
Sand obtained is stored in large containers without moisture
and support.
entry and its managed as clean and dry to manage the water
content in the mix design. Component Content
Ash content 4.98
C. Coarse aggregate: Acetone extract 10.59
Natural rubber content 25.79
Coarse aggregate adopted in this work is obtained from Rubber hydrocarbon content 36.91
nearby crusher unit which is derived from basalt rock and Carbon black content 21.193
it is non flaky with clear edges. The aggregates are sieved Relative density 1.192

on crusher end with nominal size of 20 mm as per IS 383 it

Table no. 1 Content of Crumb Rubber
adheres strictly to the protocols. The coarse aggregate has
a specific gravity of 2.65 and abrasion value of less than
6% with good impact crushing strength of less than 3%
which shows that it can be even used for highway pur- pose. F. Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS):
The obtained material is stored in a concrete tank with
Ground-granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) is obtained by
shelter to avoid water entry and clean, dried aggregate only quenching molten iron slag (a by-product of iron and steel
is used throughout the study. making) from a blast furnace in water or steam, to produce a
glassy, granular product that is then dried and ground into a
D. Water: fine powder. From structural point of view, GGBS
replacement enhances lower heat of hydration, higher
The water used in the entire process is tap water and the durability and higher resistance to sulphate and chloride
attack when compared with normal ordinary concrete. On the the fine particles that are driven out of the boiler with the flue
other hand, it also contributes to environmental protection gases. fly ash includes substantial amounts of silico
because it minimizes the use of cement during the production dioxide (SiO2) (both amorphous and crystalline), aluminium
of concrete. The chemical compositions vary as per
oxide (Al2O3) and calcium oxide (CaO), the main mineral
composition of raw material. It is use to make durable
concrete structures in combination of OPC/PPC. Concrete compounds in coal-bearing rock strata . fly ash particles are
with GGBS sets slowly than ordinary but simultaneously generally spherical in shape and range in size from 0.5 µm to
gains strength over long period. Replacement level vary from 300 µm. Two classes of fly ash are defined by Class F fly ash
30% up to 85%. Strength increases over the time. and Class C fly ash. The chief difference between these classes
is the amount of calcium, silica, alumina, and iron content in
Advantages of GGBS:
the ash. Fly ash is generally captured by electrostatic
• It lowers heat of hydration
precipitators or other particle filtration equipment before the
• Avoids cold joints.
flue gases reach the chimneys of coal-fired power plants, and
• Better workability
together with bottom ash removed from the bottom of the boiler
• Reduce thermal cracking. is known as coal ash.
• Higher resistance to acid attack, reducing risk of corrosion Advantages of Fly Ash:
• Sustainable • Reduction in heat of hydration and thus reduction of thermal
cracks improves soundness of concrete mass.
G. Nano- Titanium dioxide (TiO2): • Improved workability of concrete.
• Converting released lime from hydration of OPC into
Incorporation of Nano- Titanium dioxide in cement exhibits
additional binding material contributing additional strength
significant improvement in properties of cement composites.
to concrete mass.
Increased research in the use of nano- titanium dioxide in
construction industry is attributed to its nano size that
accelerates hydration of cement, reduces setting time and
III. MIXING, CASTING, CURING AND TESTING
enhances the mechanical properties. The dimensional stability
if cement mix affected by excess addition of nano- titanium
dioxide is mitigated by optimal selection of size of nano- Concrete is a composite material which is prepared using
titanium dioxide. The focus is on effect nano- titanium dioxide mixing of various admixtures and placing it properly in the
on heat of hydration, workability, setting time, mechanical prepared mould, curing it for the required period, it may be
strength, microstructure and permeability of cement blended in laboratory or in field this process has impact on the
mixes. About an optimum replacement percentage of around concrete strength. In this research we had taken careful
2.0- 3.0% exhibits notable impacts in improving the quality of attempt in preparing the concrete, it is prepared in a levelled
cement matrix. watertight steel platform which does not absorb the water
Photocatalytic concrete is a formulation of concrete used as added in the concrete. The surface is levelled and cleaned
pavers and other structural concrete that includes titanium properly the mixing is done for this work in a cleaned
dioxide as an admixture or superficial layer. Titanium dioxide tiltable concrete mixer (electric operated). Before casting of
is a heterogenous photo catalyst that uses sunlight and moisture the specimen, the surface is cleaned, watered, the
to absorb and renders oxides of nitrogen in to nitrates ions. ingredients are measured in weight batching and kept ready
Which are then either washed away by rain or soaked in to the near the mixer. Moulds are properly oiled and bolted to
concrete to form stable compounds. avoid cement and water escape, the vibration is done by
using table vibrator for cube mould and electric operated
Parameter Value need vibrator without segregation. Ingredients are mixed in
Size 35 mm
the mixer machine using standard mixing protocols by
Size Range 30- 50 mm
Chemical Composition Titanium- 59.91% & Oxygen-
placing aggregate first, then fine aggregate with adding half
40.06% of required water, allowed to mix properly. Then cement is
Density 4.22 gm/cm3 added in the mix with crumped rubber being added slowly
Moral Mass 79.9373 gm/mol and allowed to mix duly with the addition of remaining
Melting Point 1.841oC
water required. Then the concrete is poured to steel buckets
Boiling Point 2,969oC
after which the flowability tests were conducted, then they
Table no. 2 Properties of TiO2 are placed in the mould using standard placing procedures
through which care is taken to avoid segregation and escape
of water. The whole mixing and placing platform are free
from direct sunlight and also moisture, the room
H. Fly-ash:
temperature during mixing is 29°c. Once the concrete is
Fly ash, also known as "pulverized fuel ash", is one of the placed in the mould and vibration is done properly the
residues generated by coal combustion, and is composed of surface is leveled and the mould with concrete is covered
with polythene sheets to avoid water escape. The setup is construction site during the progress of the work. Concrete
kept for 24 h for proper setting and ready for de-moulding, slump test is carried out from batch to batch to check the
it is done after ensuring the setting of concrete. De-moulded uniform quality of concrete during construction. concrete
specimens were kept in clear and adulterant free water which slump value is used to find the workability, which
has a pH of 6.9 and no other material is present. keeping idle indicates water-cement ratio, but there are various factors
for 1h, surface cleaning is also done with cotton cloth. including properties of materials, mixing methods, dosage,
The specimens are then painted with white cement to note admixtures etc. also affect the concrete slump value. Keeping
the crack propagation and marked as per the specimen water to cement ratio constant that is 0.3 for all combinations it
number. Testing is done in pre-calibrated testing equipment is been observed that the workability of concrete for each
including compressive strength testing machine which is combination increased by 16 % and further gradually decreased
digitally controlled with 2000 KN capacity. The prepared for all the combinations. The highest slump was found for the
specimens are tested as per Indian standard code provisions combination 3 was 122 mm with respect to conventional
with the required loading pattern and timing of load concrete 95 mm.
applications. Flexure testing is done in an electrically For each combination the fresh concrete is been prepared with
operated Universal testing machine with 1000 KN capacity constant M40 grade of concrete.
which contains strain controlling mechanism.
Concrete Material Slump Value (mm)

Water-Cement Ratio- 0.35

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
95
Conventional Concrete
The cubes, cylinders and beam specimens were casted for Combination 1
M40 grade of concrete with 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%
112
replacement of fine aggregate with crumb rubber by M1
volume fraction, GGBS & Fly Ash to be replaced partially 105
M2
with cement with proportion of 30% & 25% respectively 93
M3
with inclusion of TiO 2 5%. Above specimens were tested 88
to obtain the optimum replacement of crumb rubber with M4

fine aggregate in the concrete for Compressive strength, Combination 2

Workability and Flexural strength. 105
M1
Combinations 100
M2
Conventional concrete M40 Grade of Normal Concrete 97
Combination 1 GGBS 30% TiO2 5% M3
Crumb Rubber 5%, 10%, 15%, 92
M4
20%
Combination 2 Fly Ash 25% TiO2 5% Combination 3
Crumb Rubber 5%, 10%, 15%,
122
20% M1
Combination 3 Fly Ash 25% GGBS 30% TiO2 115
5% Crumb Rubber 5%, 10%, M2
15%, 20% 105
M3
90
M4
Table no. 3 Combinations of Testing Concrete

Table no. 5 Workability Test on Concrete

Materials Partial replacement with
Crumb Rubber Fine Aggregate
Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Cement
Slag (GGBS)
Fly Ash Cement
Nano- Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) Cement

Table no. 4 Partial replacements

A. Workability of concrete:
Concrete slump test is to determine the workability or
consistency of concrete mix prepared at the laboratory or the
 Workability of Concrete with different Compressive Strength of Concrete with different
Combinations combinations
140 29
Slump Value of Concrete in mm

Compressive Strength in Mpa

120 28

100 27

80 26

60 25

40 24

20 23

0 22
Coventional Combination 1 Combination 2 Combination 3 Coventional Combination 1 Combination 2 Combination 3
Concrete Concrete

Concrete Material with different combinations Concrete cubes with different variations

M1 M2 M3 M4 M C1 C2 C3 C4 C

At 28th day of water curing it is been observed that the

B. Compressive strength of concrete:
compressive strength of concrete specimen gradually increased
The compressive strength of concrete was observed on compared with the conventional concrete. The compressive
(150X150X150) mm cubes under the compression testing strength firstly increased and then gradually decreased with
machine with constant loading. M40 grade of concrete was kept increase in addition of crumb rubber. The highest compressive
constant for each cube casted. Compressive strength is strength was observed at 28th day of curing was 55.98 Mpa with
observed after the water curing period of 7 days and 28 days. It respect to the conventional concrete 52.72 Mpa with increase
is been observed that the compressive strength for all the in 5.9 % of Strength of concrete. It is also been observed that
combinations was low with respect to the conventional concrete up to 10% to 15% of replacement of crumb rubber with fine
tested at the 7th day of curing. It is been observed that the aggregate is acceptable.
compressive strength was gradually decreasing with increase in
Concrete Specimen Compressive Strength (N/mm2)
replacement of crumb rubber with fine aggregate. The highest Conventional Concrete 52.72
compressive strength was observed 27.77 Mpa with respect to Combination 1
conventional concrete 27.88 Mpa with loss of 0.4 % of strength C1 54.32
at 7th day of curing. C2 53.23
C3 52.46
Concrete Specimen Compressive Strength (N/mm2) C4 51.36
Conventional Concrete 27.88 Combination 2
Combination 1 C1 55.98
C1 27.53 C2 54.72
C2 26.88 C3 53.25
C3 25.94 C4 52.26
C4 25.07 Combination 3
Combination 2 C1 55.35
C1 26.84 C2 54.32
C2 25.76 C3 53.18
C3 24.98 C4 52.07
C4 24.12
Combination 3 Table no. 7 Compressive Strength of Concrete (28 Days)
C1 27.77
C2 26.95
C3 26
C4 25.12

Table no. 6 Compressive Strength of Concrete (7 Days)

 Compressive Strength of Concrete with different Flexural Strength of Concrete with different
combination Combinations
57 6

56
5
Compresive Strength in Mpa

Flexural Strength in MPa

55
4
54

53 3

52
2
51
1
50

49 0
Coventional Combination 1 Combination 2 Combination 3 Coventional Combination 1 Combination 2 Combination 3
Concrete Concrete

Concrete cubes with different variations Concrete cubes with different variations

C1 C2 C3 C4 C B1 B2 B3 B4 B

C. Flexural strength of concrete: At 28th day of water curing it is been observed that the flexural
strength of concrete specimen gradually increased compared
The compressive strength of concrete was observed on with the conventional concrete. The flexural strength firstly
(150X150X700) mm beams under the universal testing increased and then gradually decreased with increase in
machine with constant loading. M40 grade of concrete was kept addition of crumb rubber. The highest flexural strength was
constant for each cube casted. Flexural strength is observed observed at 28th day of curing was 4.562 Mpa with respect to
after the water curing period of 7 days and 28 days. It is been the conventional concrete 6.429 Mpa with increase in 29.01 %
observed that the Flexural strength for all the combinations was of Strength of concrete. It is also been observed that up to 10%
high with respect to the conventional concrete tested at the 7 th to 15% of replacement of crumb rubber with fine aggregate is
day of curing. It is been observed that the flexural strength was acceptable.
gradually decreasing with increase in replacement of crumb
rubber with fine aggregate. The highest flexural strength was Concrete Specimen Flexural Strength (N/mm2)
Conventional Concrete 4.562
observed 5.392 Mpa with respect to conventional concrete
Combination 1
2.903 Mpa with increase of 46.15 % of strength at 7 th day of B1 5.807
curing. B2 5.392
B3 4.77
Concrete Specimen Flexural Strength (N/mm2) B4 4.355
Conventional Concrete 2.903 Combination 2
Combination 1 B1 6.429
B1 3.942 B2 5.807
B2 3.318 B3 5.185
B3 2.696 B4 4.77
B4 2.281 Combination 3
Combination 2 B1 6.014
B1 3.942 B2 5.3925
B2 3.318 B3 4.977
B3 2.696 B4 4.148
B4 2.281
Combination 3
Table no. 9 Flexural Strength of Concrete (28 Days)
B1 4.355
B2 3.733
B3 3.111
B4 2.488

Table no. 8 Flexural Strength of Concrete (7 Days)

 VI. REFERNCES
Flexural Strength of Concrete with different
Combinations [1] Agoampodi, S. M Mendis, Safat Al- Deen, Mahmud Ashraf, “Behaviour
7 of similar strength Crumbed Rubber Concrete mixes with different mix
proportions”, Construction and Building Materials 137 (2017) 354–366,
6 PP. 1-13, 2017.
[2] Osama Youssf, Julie E. Mills, Tom Benn, Yan Zhuge, Xing Ma, Rajeev
Flexural Strength in MPa

5 Roychand, Rebeccas Gravina, “Development of Crumb Rubber

Concrete for Practical Application in Residential Construction Sector”,
4 Construction and Building Materials 260 (2020) 119813, PP. 1-12,
2020.
3 [3] T. Rajini Devi, T. Chandrashekhar Rao, “Development of Normal Grade
Concrete using Crumb Rubber”, Materials Today: Proceedings, PP. 1-
2 7, 2020.
[4] Kunal Bisht, P. V. Ramana, “Evaluation of Mechanical and Durability
1 Properties of Crumb Rubber Concrete”, Construction and Building
Materials 155 (2017) 811–817, PP. 1-7, 2017.
0 [5] M. Guru Prasad, Swamy Yadav Golla, N. Prabhanjan, A. Siva Krishna,
Coventional Combination 1 Combination 2 Combination 3 Govil Alok, “Mechanical properties of Rubberized concrete using truck
Concrete scrap rubber”, Materials Today: Proceedings, PP. 1-6, 2020.
[6] Blessen Skariah Thomas, Ramesh Chandragupta, Priyansha Mehra,
Concrete cubes with different variation Sanjeev Kumar, “Performance of high strength rubberized concrete in
aggressive envirornment”, Construction and Building Materials 83
B1 B2 B3 B4 B
(2015) 320–326, PP. 1-7, 2015.
[7] Ayman Abdolmenon, M. S. El- Feky, El-Sayed A. R. Naysr, Mohamed
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With the outcome of experimental results authors are highly

confident that usage of crump rubber is viable considering
the need of improvement in concrete focusing on specific
criteria. With the results obtained via design of experiments
we had added crump rubber from 5 to 20% with reference
to the weight batching and conducted experiments in M 40
grade concrete. Strength of concrete specimen was
gradually increased first and with addition of crumb rubber
the strength gradually decreased after one limit. The
compressive strength was increased up to 6 % with addition
of 10% to 15% of crumb rubber. The flexural strength was
increased up to 46% with addition of 10% to 15% of crumb
rubber and the after it started decreasing below 15%. It is
concluded that 5% to 15% of crumb rubber is acceptable in
concrete to avoid the waste tyre rubber in environment.
With this its very evident that:

• Usage of crump rubber is prescribed but only at an optimal

level above which the strength will start dropping,
• An optimal value of 20 percentage addition is suggested
which will increase the strength values considerably.
• Effect of crump rubber on one type of strength
(compressive/tensile/flexural) is not reciprocating in other
strength which should be studied further.