Arya News - Researchers have identified a promising way to recycle used tires by incorporating their components directly into concrete — a method that not only improves material performance but also reduces environmental impact. The findings come from a team at Don State Technical University (DSTU), working in collaboration with scientists from Azerbaijan and Turkey.
The findings come from a team at Don State Technical University (DSTU), working in collaboration with scientists from Azerbaijan and Turkiye.According to the Russian Environmental Operator, only 5–10% of material recovered from a recycled tire can be reused in manufacturing new tires. While waste rubber can be turned into plumbing products, flooring materials, drainage components, or asphalt mixtures, the production of these items is often labor-intensive and costly, DSTU experts note.The international research team has now proposed an alternative: using rubber particles and steel fibers extracted from worn tires as components in functional concretes.Sergey Stelmakh, head of the Department of “Construction of Unique Buildings and Structures” at DSTU, explained that concrete strength increases when specific amounts of rubber filler particles and small quantities of steel fibers are added. Rationally dosed, these additives can improve concrete strength by up to 6%. The improvement is attributed to the additional reinforcing effect provided by the steel fibers. However, researchers caution that excessive fiber content can negate the benefits.Typically, incorporating rubber into concrete requires additional chemical agents, but the study found that strength improvements can be achieved without them, the university added.To better predict the mechanical properties of such modified concretes, the international team also developed a neural network. Built on data from numerous tested mixtures containing rubber and steel fibers, the model allows for accurate forecasting of characteristics vital to designing structures, buildings, and engineering systems.Looking ahead, the researchers plan to further explore both the fundamental and applied aspects of integrating recycled tire materials into concrete, as well as the technological challenges of ensuring effective interaction between the composite components.