Innovative Application of Scrap-tire Steel Cords in Concrete Mixes

Many researchers have investigated the use of recycled tire products in several traditional civil engineering materials. This research is exploring the use of steel cords, a by-product of the tire recycling process, in concrete mixes. Different concrete specimens were fabricated and tested in uniaxial compression and splitting tensile strength. The steel cords were substituted into the concrete mix in volumetric percentages of various ratios. Results show that mechanical properties of concrete made with steel cords are improved compared with concrete mix made with the traditional scrap-tires recycled material. Also, results show that even though the compressive strength is reduced when using steel cords, this reduction is minimal. When 2% of steel cords are used there is 18% increase in ductility. Moreover, splitting tensile tests show that concrete mixtures with any steel cords content have much greater toughness than control mixture. This mechanical property mix indicates an excellent potential application of modified concrete mix in structures that absorb large amount of energy.