Analytical investigation of structural elements produced from sustainable waste tire-based geopolymer for infill wall applications

Year 2026, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 36 - 50

Furkan Birdal , Hasan Dilbas , Fatih Sezen , Oğuzhan Yüksel

Abstract

With the increasing global population, various industrial demands have emerged. In response to these needs, construction and shelter have become fundamental aspects of human life, leading to rapid growth in the construction sector. However, the accelerated depletion of natural resources commonly used in industry poses a significant challenge to sustainability. The use of conventional building materials results in excessive consumption of natural resources and generates waste that can lead to irreversible environmental problems. This situation necessitates the investigation of new and sustainable alternatives to minimize the environmental impact of human activities. As a natural consequence of expanding industries driven by technological advancement, the volume of industrial waste is growing rapidly. The wastes must be either stored, disposed of, or reused. Considering the environmental damage associated with storage and disposal, the most appropriate solution is reuse, which contributes to sustainability by transforming waste into secondary raw materials. In this study, a combination of waste tires, marble waste, and bottom ash was utilized alongside pumice, a natural and lightweight aggregate. To facilitate the geopolymerization process, sodium hydroxide was employed in the preparation of the alkaline activating solution. The resulting geopolymer-based construction material was then evaluated for its potential application in reinforced concrete structural system. Stress-strain relationship of the sustainable geopolymer mixture, primarily derived from waste tires, were experimentally determined. Furthermore, the analytical performance of masonry units manufactured from this mixture was evaluated in infill wall-frame systems.

Keywords

Waste tire , Geopolymer mixture , Sustainability , Infill wall , Pushover analysis

References

• Sarkaz AMH (2025) Investigation of mechanical properties of waste tire added geopolimer concrete (M.Sc thesis). Kastamonu University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kastamonu, Türkiye.
• Kaya Aİ (2010) A study on blended bottom ash cements (M.Sc thesis). Middle East Technical University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Cement Engineering, Ankara, Türkiye.
• Çelik M, Kuvat A, Abut Y, Ceyhan Erdoğan M, Saygı Yalçın B (2024) Investigation of the using biochar-activated fly ash for soil stabilization, Journal of Innovative Engineering and Natural Science 4(2): 354–371, https://doi.org/10.61112/jiens.1421364
• Bilgil A, Uçurum M, Gökçe MV, Fener M, Yeşilyurt E (2017) Manufacture of Fired Clay Bricks Containing an Industrial Waste (Bottom Ash), Omer Halisdemir University Journal of Engineering Sciences, 6(2): 483–491, https://doi.org/10.28948/ngumuh.341298
• Toprak MU (2011) Geopolymer production from thermal power plant bottom ashes by alkali activation (Ph.D Thesis). Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Civil Engineering, Division of Structural Engineering, Eskişehir, Türkiye.
• Aruntaş HY (2006) The Potential of Fly Ash Usage in Construction Sector, Journal of The Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of Gazi University, 21(1): 193–203
• Sezen F (2025) Experimental and analytical investigation of structural elements produced from waste tire-based geopolymer concrete (M.Sc thesis). Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Institute of Science, Department of Civil Engineering, Kırşehir, Türkiye.
• Qaidi SM, Mohammed AS, Ahmed HU, Faraj RH, Emad W, Tayeh BA, Althoey F, Zaid O, Sor, NH (2022) Rubberized geopolymer composites: A comprehensive review, Ceramics International, 48(17): 24234–24259, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.06.123
• Parçal İ (2023) Use of waste tire as aggregate in lightweight geopolymer concrete production (M.Sc thesis). Konya Technical University, Institute of Graduate Studies, Department of Building Materials, Konya, Türkiye.
• Zubairu SU (2016) Investigation of effects on mechanical properties of cementitious composite of waste tire fibers (M.Sc thesis). Süleyman Demirel University, Graduate School of Applied and Natural Sciences, Department of Construction Education, Isparta, Türkiye.
• Öztürk H (2016) The effects of engineering properties of waste tires into self-compacting concretes (M.Sc thesis). Düzce University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Interdisciplinary Composite Material Technologies, Düzce, Türkiye.
• Kızar S (2017) Investigating usability of waste tires in building elements and investigating structures and evaluating their thermal and acoustic performances (M.Sc thesis). Batman University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Batman, Türkiye.
• Aksoy SR (2021) Investigation of properties of concrete containing different polymer additives with waste rubber (M.Sc thesis). Düzce University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Civil Engineering, Düzce, Türkiye.
• Özdemir C (2021) Investigation of the engineering properties of self-compacting lightweight concrete with waste marble dust additive in Kırşehir region (M.Sc thesis), Kastamonu University, Institute of Science, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kastamonu, Türkiye.
• Rahimi RG (2021) Effect of aggregate gradation on strength properties of eco-efficient concretes produced with waste tire (M.Sc thesis) Fırat University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Elazığ, Türkiye.
• Erkek B (2024) Investigation of the use of alternative pozzolanic materials (M.Sc thesis). Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Türkiye.
• Bayrak OF, Bikçe M, (2019) Investigation of the Effect of Infill Wall on Structural Irregularities and Performance on an Existing Structure, Uludağ University Journal of The Faculty of Engineering, 24(3): 241-254, https://doi.org/10.17482/uumfd.477760
• Santos P, Martins C, Júlio E (2015) Enhancement of the thermal performance of perforated clay brick walls through the addition of industrial nano-crystalline aluminium sludge, Construction and Building Materials, 101(1): 227–238, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.10.058
• Köseömür E (2025) Analytical investigation of the use of sustainable engineered cementitious composite (ECC) in the construction and reinforcement of filled walls (M.Sc thesis), Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Civil Engineering, Kırşehir, Türkiye.
• CSI (Computers and Structures Inc.) SAP2000 Structural Analysis and Design. CSI, Licensed to Kirsehir Ahi Evran University, SAP2000 Ultimate 64 Bit v26.2.0.
• Birdal F, Dilbas H, Sezen F (2025) Multi-Purpose Building Material Design with Optimization of Sustainable Geopolymer Mixture with Fibrous Waste Tyre and Slag Additives, II. International Future Engineering Conference, Apr. 28-29, Bildiri, 416–417
• Toklu K (2009). The research of opportunities for increasing the quality of pumice block produced by pumice stone (M.Sc thesis). İstanbul University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Mining Engineering, Mining Engineering Program, İstanbul, Türkiye.
• Sevil T, Baran M, Canbay E (2010) Tuğla Dolgu Duvarların B/A Çerçeveli Yapıların Davranışına Etkilerinin İncelenmesi; Deneysel ve Kuramsal Çalışmalar, International Journal of Engineering Research and Development, 2(2): 35–42
• Akgül T, Aydın F, Aydın E, Vural İ (2011) Investigation of Heat Insulation Performance of Different Wall Varieties Used in Buildings, e-Journal of New World Sciences Academy, 6(4): 1250–1258
• Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Environment and Urbanization (2018) Türkiye Building Earthquake Code (TBDY-2018). Ankara: Official Gazette of the Republic of Türkiye
• Sağlıyan S (2018) Effect of Modeling Approaches of Infill Walls on Reinforced Concrete Frame Behavior, Science and Engineering Journal of Fırat University, 30(2): 165–174
• Garip ZŞ, Dibekoğlu Ş (2023) Investigation of the Effects of Infill Walls on Behavior in Reinforced Concrete Buildings under the Influence of Earthquake, International Journal of Engineering Research and Development, 15(2): 344–360, https://doi.org/10.29137/umagd.1178219
• Topçu İB, Uğurlu A (2007) Theory of Elasticity on Concrete and Estimation of the Static Modulus of Elasticity for Dam Concrete with Composite Models, İMO Teknik Dergi, 268: 4055–4067