Reusing Inner Lining Tire Strips (ILTS) as Partial Coarse Aggregate Replacement for Sustainable Rubber Paver Blocks (RPB)

Abstract

The engineering surrounding the usage of concrete continues to evolve with new ideas put forward over the years. New resources emerge among studies to produce more sustainable concrete, although most are not yet established in projects like rubber. Replacing natural coarse aggregate with rubber is a resource-efficient option to avoid further environmental damage. This study aims to assess the sustainability of a Rubber Paver Block (RPB), a paver block with cement containing a certain percentage of coarse aggregates replaced by crumb rubber from Inner Lining Tire Strips (ILTS). Five different cement mixes were produced containing 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of the rubber-replaced coarse aggregate volume that were evaluated using the Absorption, Compressive, and Infiltration Test. Among these cement mixes, only the produced samples of 20% showed favorable results, passing all the physical requirements in all three tests. The characteristics of the rubber present within this mix had specimens with low absorption, adequate strength, and high infiltration that respectively avoid high chances of deterioration, provide durability over time, and add permeability that is mainly useful in flood cases caused by natural or artificial disasters.