Concrete Mix with Laminated Rubber Strips for Residential Concrete

This study investigated the mixing of rubber to residential concrete mixtures to reduce the use of aggregates that will soon deplete natural resources. The rubber was laminated with steel before adding it to the concrete mix in order to improve its strength and stability. Using scrap tires for this experiment will not only help reduce the rubber waste in a country but also reduce the overall weight of a residential building to help ease the effects of an earthquake. Four concrete samples were made with 0, 5, 7.5 and 10 percent replacement by volume. The compressive strength and weight of the concrete mix was measured in this study to determine its practical application. The product exhibited minimal compressive changes and weight changes as the replacement was increasing. Although the strength decreased, beneficial weight change was observed since it will be less rigid when structurally used. The compressive strength of the samples with laminate rubber strips were more than 20 MPa and this suggests that it could be used for residential concrete like slabs, footings, pavements, and concrete stumps.