Concrete Made From Old Tires Proves Tougher and More Sustainable
One of the world’s most widely used materials, concrete is responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions. To find more sustainable alternatives, researchers often look to other resources and, in this case, have turned to old rubber tires. A new study from scientists at the University of South Australia and Melbourne’s RMIT University used crumb rubber concrete—concrete made by grinding used tires into crumb-like pieces—as a residential slab to test its viability. The scientists poured two slabs of it, along with additional conventional concrete, to construct the entrance to the Civil Engineering campus 2018. They monitored and compared the material’s performance, finding that the crumb rubber had higher impact-resistance, toughness, ductility, damping ratio and better thermal and acoustic insulation. “The results clearly show that crumb rubber cement is a viable and promising alternative to conventional concrete,” says author of the study Professor Yan Zhuge. Learn more about it at New Atlas.
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Via newatlas.com link opens in a new window
