Can we produce recycled rubber by concrete ?
Researchers at RMIT University have recently found a way to replace common aggregates used in concrete, such as sand and crushed stone, with disposable tires. This work promises to be part of the circular economy with the aim of minimizing waste and using more resources. They say the new concrete will be greener and lighter, significantly reducing manufacturing and transportation costs. Previously, researchers were able to use a small amount of rubber particles in concrete. But efforts to replace all aggregates with rubber had resulted in the production of weak concretes that could not meet the required standards. The article presented in this regard shows the process of producing lightweight concrete with a structure in which the traditional coarse aggregates of this mixture are completely replaced with used car tires.
With precision casting method, we have shown that the limitation of using large amounts of coarse rubber particles in concrete can be overcome. This technique involves the use of new casting molds designed to compress coarse rubber aggregates into concrete. “Since the majority of conventional concrete consists of coarse aggregates, replacing all of them with used rubber can significantly reduce the consumption of natural resources and challenges solve the main environmental problem . Used tires cannot be exported in Australia. This makes new methods for their recycling and reprocessing become very important. By 2030, about 1.2 billion waste tires will be produced worldwide. “Green and lightweight concrete can greatly reduce construction and transportation costs,” Lee said. This issue will greatly help the development of affordable housing projects in rural and remote areas of Australia and other countries of the world.