Tensile strength prediction of crumb rubber concrete based on mesoscale modelling

This study presents an experimental study and a mesoscale model for evaluating the tensile performance of crumb rubber concrete (CRC). In the experimental study, indirect tensile strengths of CRC with 6%, 12% 18% rubber contents were tested. Then the tested CRC samples were modelled as a five-phase material containing rubber, coarse aggregate, mortar, aggregate-mortar interface layer, and rubber-mortar interface layer. Numerical results from the mesoscale model agreed well with experimental tests. Parameter analysis was carried out to investigate the content, size, shape of rubber particle, thickness of interface layer on the tensile strength of CRC. Numerical results also indicated that rubber content was the governing influencing factor on the tensile strength reduction. As comparison, the influence from rubber size and rubber shape was relatively low. For a specimen with constant rubber content and size, changes in the distribution of rubber particles resulted in slight changes in the tensile strength of CRC as well. The effect of rubber particles on the tensile properties of concrete was similar to that of pores. Finally, tensile strength prediction formula was developed based on the pores model proposed in this study.