A study was undertaken to investigate the effects of crumb rubber on the strength and mechanical behaviour of Rubberized cement soil (RCS). In the present investigation, 26 groups of soil samples were prepared at five different percentages of crumb rubber content, four different percentages of cement content and two different finenesses of crumb rubber particle. Compressive strength tests were carried out at the curing age of 7 days, 14 days, 28 days and 90 days. The test results indicated that the inclusion of crumb rubber within cement soil leads to a decrease in the compressive strength and stiffness and improves the cement soil’s brittle behaviour to a more ductile one. A reduction of up to 31% in the compressive strength happened in the 20% crumb content group. The compressive strength increases with the increase in the cement content. And the enlargement of cement content is more efficient at low cement content.

The article aims to increase knowledge on methods for assessing Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions throughout the life cycle of marine alternative fuels. The life cycle of new marine alternative fuels and the assessment of GHG emissions resulting not only from their combustion is one of the new topics that are currently being discussed by the IMO, under the ‘Initial IMO GHG Reduction Strategy’ announced by the Organization in 2018. The IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (IMO MEPC) is currently working on the development of Guidelines for Life-Cycle Assessment of GHG emissions for marine fuels from their extraction, through transport, processing, bunkering on board and end use in vessels propulsion systems, what is often called ‘from Cradle-to-Grave’. The use of fossil hydrocarbon fuels is common throughout the shipping industry, but in recent years ships with alternative energy sources have begun to be successfully introduced. Alternative fuels, although they may have low, zero or zero net GHG emissions in use (Tank to Wake or TtW), GHG emissions during their production, processing and distribution (Well-to-Tank or WtT) can vary widely. While a range of low-carbon and zero-carbon energy sources are potentially available for shipping, currently there is no clear decarbonization path or paths, and is likely that in the future a range of solutions will be adopted according to different vessel and operational requirements.