Flexural behavior of rubberized concrete beams: Insights from experimental and numerical investigations

Abstract Rubberized concrete (RuC), which incorporates recycled tire rubber aggregates in the matrix, offers a viable solution for managing waste tire disposal. Although adding rubber aggregates reduces the compressive strength of concrete, research suggests that in specific applications, such as flexure‐controlled members, this adverse effect can be minimized. However, detailed studies on the flexural performance of reinforced RuC members remain limited. This paper presents a comprehensive study to assess the flexural performance of RuC beams, providing detailed measurements of concrete strains, steel strains, neutral axis depth, and crack widths. The experimental program tested 12 reinforced concrete beams with varying rubber content (0%, 10%, and 20% of total aggregate volume), tension reinforcement ratios ( ρ = 1.13%–2.01%), and axial loads (0–0.1 A g ). The results indicated that beams containing 10% rubber experienced a decrease in moment capacity of up to 13%, along with a 10% reduction in cracked stiffness. In contrast, beams with 20% rubber exhibited more significant decreases, showing reductions of up to 19% in both capacity and stiffness. Additionally, the impact of axial load appeared to double these reductions for both rubber content levels. The findings confirmed that current modeling techniques can accurately predict this behavior when a modified stress–strain relationship for RuC is applied, considering the lower elastic modulus and strain at peak stress and crushing. The study concludes that 10% rubber content can be regarded as an optimal choice for flexure‐controlled elements subjected to low axial loads.