Structural performance of fibre reinforced recycled aggregate concrete road kerb sections under monotonic and cyclic loading.

In recent years, there has been a notable emphasis on waste reduction and the adoption of recycled materials within the construction industry to reduce the industry's overall carbon footprint. This study investigates the structural performances of concrete kerb sections prepared with five different concrete mixes containing recycled concrete aggregate, recycled tyre-derived aggregates and recycled polypropylene fibres. Kerb sections were cast at a road site in a suburb of Adelaide, Australia. After the concrete hardened, sections were cut and brought to the laboratory. A large number of monotonic and cyclic load tests were conducted on the kerb sections. The load-carrying capacity, bending moment capacity, cyclic fatigue capacity, durability properties along with deformation tolerance were evaluated. Kerb sections made with concrete containing recycled aggregate and polypropylene fibre could sustain nearly 2000 cycles of loading. Kerb sections prepared with natural aggregate concrete performed comparatively better. The addition of polypropylene fibre significantly improved the post-cracking behaviour of kerb sections and can delay crack propagation and other distress when subjected to cyclic loadings such as excessive soil movement, e.g., in areas with expansive soils or prone to tree root migration. Long-term observation may be required to confirm the mechanical and durability performance improvement in real field conditions. • Large concrete kerb sections tested under monotonic and cyclic loading. • Concrete mixes contained natural, recycled, tyre-derived aggregate and PP fibres. • Fatigue tests indicated excellent post-peak load capacity in cyclic loading. • Kerbs with RCA and recycled fibre sustained ∼2000 cycles of loading. • Fibre delayed crack propagation and improved post-cracking behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]