Bowland (2011) — Comparison and Analysis of the Strength, Stiffness, and Damping Characteristics of Concrete with Rubber, Latex, and Carbonate Additives
Citation
Bowland, A. G. (2011). Comparison and Analysis of the Strength, Stiffness, and Damping Characteristics of Concrete with Rubber, Latex, and Carbonate Additives (Doctoral dissertation). Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA.
- DOI:
needs_check(University Dissertation / VTechWorks handle) - Atlas layer: context / peripheral
- Related Victor Li book chapter: Chapter 10: Multifunctional Properties (Damping, Vibration Attenuation & Acoustic Properties) & Chapter 11: Applications (Structural Dynamics)
- Source PDF:
bowland-2011-comparison-and-analysis-of-the-strength.pdf - Extracted text:
full_text/bowland-2011-comparison-and-analysis-of-the-strength_full_text.md - Source note:
source_notes/bowland-2011-comparison-and-analysis-of-the-strength_source_note.md
Why this paper matters
Provides an in-depth 351-page doctoral study on modifying concrete damping and dynamic energy dissipation using recycled tire crumb rubber, SBR latex, calcium carbonate, and vegetable gum additives, validating damping gains at both material and full-scale footbridge structural levels.
Main contribution
- Evaluates the effect of substituting up to 20 % fine aggregates with recycled crumb rubber (various gradations: -30 mesh to 1/4 inch), SBR latex, calcium carbonate, and ConcreDamp (vegetable gum in SBR latex).
- Quantifies the mechanical trade-offs: crumb rubber increases damping capacity by up to 100 % (factor of 2) but decreases compressive strength and increases entrapped air content.
- Shows that combining SBR latex with crumb rubber densifies the interfacial transition zone, lowering air voids and partially recovering lost compressive strength while maintaining high damping.
- Constructs and tests two full-scale laboratory footbridges (normal vs. 15 % rubberized concrete deck) to experimentally measure modal damping ratios and validate SAP2000 dynamic finite element models.
Evidence summary
- Material Additives: Recycled crumb rubber (-30 mesh, -10 mesh, 1/4"), Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR) latex, Calcium carbonate micro-particles, ConcreDamp (vegetable gum latex suspension).
- Dynamic Damping Measurements: Resonant frequency and half-power bandwidth tests show material damping ratio ($\zeta$) increases from ~1.0–1.5 % (plain concrete) up to 2.5–3.5 % with 15–20 % crumb rubber or latex additives (Chapter 5 & 6).
- Compressive Strength Impact: Replacing 15 % fine aggregate with rubber reduces compressive strength from ~35–45 MPa down to 15–25 MPa. SBR latex addition recovers strength up to 28–32 MPa (Chapter 4).
- Full-Scale Footbridge Dynamic Testing: 15 % rubber deck replacement reduced peak resonant acceleration and increased structural damping ratio from 1.1 % to 1.8 % under human-induced walking vibrations (Chapter 7 & 8).
Linked Atlas nodes
02_concepts/damping_and_energy_dissipation.md04_material_systems/rubberized_ecc.md05_experiments/dynamic_modal_testing.md06_sustainability/recycled_rubber_aggregates.md
Relationship to Victor Li book
- Connects to Victor Li (2019) Chapter 10 (Multifunctional Properties: Damping & Acoustic Attenuation), providing baseline physics on how viscoelastic inclusions (rubber particles, latex polymers) dissipate kinetic energy via shear deformation within the cementitious matrix.
- Supplements Chapter 11 (Applications) with structural modal testing data demonstrating how material-level damping directly mitigates floor and pedestrian bridge vibration issues.
Claim-evidence rows to add
| Atlas node | Claim | Evidence summary | Page/Figure/Table | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
02_concepts/damping_and_energy_dissipation.md |
Replacing up to 15–20 % fine aggregate with crumb rubber doubles concrete material damping ratio | Resonant column and modal tests showed material damping ratio increased from ~1.2 % to > 2.5 % with 15 % rubber | Chapter 5 & 6, Fig. 5.12, Table 6.3 | verified_from_pdf |
04_material_systems/rubberized_ecc.md |
Combining SBR latex with crumb rubber mitigates compressive strength loss by improving ITZ bonding and reducing air entrapment | SBR latex addition restored rubberized concrete compressive strength from 18 MPa to over 28 MPa | Chapter 4, Section 4.5, Fig. 4.18 | verified_from_pdf |
05_experiments/dynamic_modal_testing.md |
High-damping rubberized concrete decks increase full-scale footbridge structural damping, lowering walking-induced peak acceleration | Experimental modal testing of full-scale footbridges showed structural damping increased from 1.1 % to 1.8 % | Chapter 7, Section 7.4, Table 7.8 | verified_from_pdf |
Verification status
- PDF preserved: yes (
bowland-2011-comparison-and-analysis-of-the-strength.pdf) - Text extracted: yes (
full_text/bowland-2011-comparison-and-analysis-of-the-strength_full_text.md) - DOI verified: N/A (Ph.D. Dissertation, Virginia Tech, 2011)
- Metadata verified: yes (Virginia Tech Civil Eng Doctoral Dissertation)
- Claim-evidence matrix ready: yes
Cautions
- This is a doctoral dissertation on standard and rubberized concrete damping; it is not focused on micromechanically designed pseudo strain-hardening ECC.
- Rubber particles degrade tensile and compressive strength unless interfacial bonding is modified with latex or surface treatment.