Abstract
It is of great significance to improve the flexibility of concrete for specific applications, such as a tunnel pavement or an airport runway. This paper presents the structural properties of the rubberized lightweight aggregate concrete at the macro- and micro-level. The relationship between mechanical properties and microstructure features was further explored. An experimental programme was developed to use crumb rubber and shale ceramsite to produce a flexible concrete. Much attention was paid to the influence of the crumb rubber dosage. The compressive strength and elastic modulus of the rubberized lightweight aggregate concrete were measured. Furthermore, the corresponding microstructure was evaluated by microhardness assessment and microscopic observation. Experimental results show that with the increase of crumb rubber dosage, the bonding interface between the rubber and cement paste, as well as between the shale ceramsite and cement paste, gradually became weakened or flexible. In addition, the width of the weak bonding interface became wider. As a result the flexibility of lightweight aggregate concrete can be effectively improved by correctly adjusting the crumb rubber dosage.