Mechanical and Impact Properties of Fibrous Rubberized Geopolymer Concrete

Authors

Metwally Abd Allah Abd-Elaty, Professor, Structural Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
Mariam Farouk Ghazy, Professor, Structural Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
Omar Hussein Khalifa, Assistant Lecturer, Structural engineering department, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta, EgyptFollow

Corresponding Author

Omar Hussein Khalifa

Subject Area

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Geopolymer concrete significantly contributes to reducing harmful emissions by reducing the cement industry and replacing it with by-product materials produced by different industries. Geopolymers have enhanced mechanical properties compared with cementitious products, however, their ductility and impact resistance tend to be relatively low. Additionally, the used rubber tires provide a significant environmental risk. Consequently, this research's primary objective is to develop and investigate improved rubberized geopolymer concrete concerning ductility and impact resistance. Reusing Crumb Rubber (CR) as an alternative to natural sand was investigated to meet these goals using volume replacement ratios of (3%, 6%, and 9%). Additionally, different volume fractions of polypropylene fibres (0.25%, 0.5%, and 0.75%) were used. Investigations have been done on how CR content affects the material's physical, mechanical and impact characteristics. Research has also been done on the impact of adding polypropylene fibres to Rubberized Geopolymer Concrete (RGC). The findings revealed that, even though the mechanical properties of RGC are lower, the mode of failure, toughness, flexural performance, and impact resistance have been significantly enhanced due to the synergistic influence of CR and fibres. Furthermore, incorporating CR with polypropylene fibers is better than using CR only. For instance, the toughness indices reached the best enhancement using 6% CR with 0.5% polypropylene fibers. Moreover, the impact resistance results indicated that incorporating CR with polypropylene fibers significantly affects the absorbed energy to failure hitting a 240% increment. Moreover, the results of the microstructure exploration confirmed the achieved mechanical properties.

Keywords

Crumb Rubber, Mechanical Properties, Ductility, Toughness Index, Impact Resistance.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Abd-Elaty, Metwally Abd Allah; Ghazy, Mariam Farouk; and Khalifa, Omar Hussein (2023) "Mechanical and Impact Properties of Fibrous Rubberized Geopolymer Concrete," Mansoura Engineering Journal: Vol. 48 : Iss. 4 , Article 5.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.58491/2735-4202.3054