Vol. 22 No. 4 (2025): Journal of Non-Destructive Testing & Evaluation (JNDE), December 2025
Research Papers

Non-Destructive Characterization of Lightweight and Sustainble Rubber Modified Cementitious System

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  • Shruti Singh,
  • Hee-Jeong Kim,
  • Tribikram Kundu

Published 10-12-2025

Keywords

  • Nondestructive testing,
  • Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity,
  • Non-linear Ultrasonic Testing,
  • Rubberized Mortar,
  • Sustainability

How to Cite

Shruti Singh, Hee-Jeong Kim, & Tribikram Kundu. (2025). Non-Destructive Characterization of Lightweight and Sustainble Rubber Modified Cementitious System . Journal of Non-Destructive Testing & Evaluation (JNDE), 22(4), 25–38. Retrieved from https://jnde.isnt.in/index.php/JNDE/article/view/117

Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Non Destructive Testing and Evaluation (JNDE)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Discarded rubber tires pose serious environmental challenges due to their non-biodegradability and accumulation in landfills; however, their elasticity, energy absorption capacity, and durability make them promising candidates for incorporation into cementitious systems, contributing to sustainable construction practices and end-of-life material utilization. Their mechanical performance is critical for durability and safety. However, incorporating recycled rubber fibers can alter both structural and acoustic properties, and conventional non-destructive testing techniques such as ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) may not fully capture microstructural damage. The relationship between nonlinear ultrasonic indicators and mechanical integrity in rubber-modified mortars remains unclear. Here we show that the Sideband Peak Count Index (SPCI), derived from frequency-domain analysis of ultrasonic signals, is highly sensitive to the internal damage caused by rubber fiber addition and correlates with compressive strength. Mortar specimens with 0–20% rubber fiber by volume were prepared and tested on the 7th day. The normalized SPCI value increased from 1.00 for the control specimen to a maximum value of 1.42 for 10% rubber, coinciding with the lowest compressive strength (11.91 MPa), and decreased to 0.98 for 20% rubber, reflecting microstructural reorganization and partial recovery of mechanical performance. These results demonstrate that SPCI effectively captures the nonlinear response of the mortar matrix and provides a quantitative, non-invasive tool for assessing strength loss and microcrack formation in fiber-modified cementitious system. These findings support the integration of nonlinear ultrasonic metrics into quality control and performance-based mix design for sustainable mortar and concrete applications.

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