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Preparation of Aligned Steel Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composite and Its Flexural Behavior
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Enhancing Shear Performance of Concrete Beams Using Layered Rubberized and Steel Fiber-Reinforced Composites
Abdulaziz S Alsaif1, Abdulrahman S Albidah1
1Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh 12372, Saudi Arabia.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 27, 2025
Summary
Recycling end-of-life tires into steel fiber reinforced rubberized concrete enhances structural performance. This eco-friendly approach improves resource efficiency and reduces environmental impact in construction materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Civil Engineering
- Sustainable Construction
Background:
- End-of-life tires pose environmental challenges.
- Recycling tire components into construction materials offers a sustainable solution.
- Assessing the structural viability of incorporating recycled tire materials is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the shear performance of reinforced concrete beams using recycled tire rubber and steel fibers.
- To investigate the mechanical and structural behavior of novel concrete mixtures.
- To explore a layered concrete configuration for enhanced performance.
Main Methods:
- Testing twenty-four cylindrical specimens and seven reinforced concrete beams.
- Substituting 20 vol.% of aggregates with shredded tire rubber.
- Incorporating recycled tire steel fibers (RSF) and industrial steel fibers (ISF) at 20 kg/m³.
- Evaluating a layered concrete design with rubberized concrete in the tensile zone.
Main Results:
- Rubber incorporation alone reduced shear strength by 30.9%.
- Steel fibers compensated for strength loss and improved ductility.
- Beams with steel fiber reinforced rubberized concrete showed a 31.9% increase in shear strength.
- Layered beams with rubberized concrete in the tensile zone performed comparably.
Conclusions:
- Steel fiber reinforcement effectively mitigates the negative impact of rubber on concrete shear strength.
- Layered concrete designs offer a viable strategy for utilizing recycled tire materials.
- Integrating recycled tire components into structural concrete is feasible without compromising performance, promoting eco-efficient construction.
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