Design and mechanical properties of liquid rubber-based concrete

A new type of concrete was developed using liquid rubber (polyurethane) as binder and graded stones as aggregate. The mechanical properties of the prepared liquid rubber-based concrete (LRBC) were systematically investigated through flexural and compressive tests. The dynamic response of LRBC to impact was studied using a spit Hopkinson pressure bar system, which demonstrates a non-monotonic strain rate sensitivity of LRBC. Furthermore, three typical pavement performance tests, i.e., rutting, seepage and sanding tests, were carried out to evaluate the potential of LRBC for the applications in pavement systems. According to the experimental study, the optimum rubber-aggregate ratio was found to be 17% (weight of binder by that of aggregate). The LRBC prepared with this recipe showed the superiority in most pavement performance indicators to other three types of conventional asphalt concrete.