Durability performance of concrete made with fine recycled concrete aggregates

Fine recycled aggregates are seen as the last choice in recycling for concrete production. Many references quote their detrimental influence on the most important characteristics of concrete: compressive and tensile strength; modulus of elasticity; water absorption; shrinkage; carbonation and chloride penetration. These two last characteristics are fundamental in terms of the long-term durability of reinforced or prestressed concrete. In the experimental research carried out at IST, part of which has already been published, different concrete mixes (with increasing rates of substitution of fine natural aggregates – sand – with fine recycled aggregates from crushed concrete) were prepared and tested. The results were then compared with those for a reference concrete with exactly the same composition and grading curve, but with no recycled aggregates. This paper presents the main results of this research for water absorption by immersion and capillarity, chloride penetration (by means of the chloride migration coefficient), and carbonation resistance, drawing some conclusions on the feasibility of using this type of aggregate in structural concrete, while taking into account any ensuing obvious positive environmental impact.     

Concrete with recycled aggregates: the Portuguese experimental research

The main objective of this study is to define expedient procedures to estimate the properties of structural concrete that contains recycled aggregates. Experimental results from Portuguese research, most of which supervised by the first author, were used to establish a relationship between some properties of hardened concrete (compressive strength, splitting and flexural tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, abrasion resistance, shrinkage, water absorption, carbonation penetration and chloride penetration) and the density and water absorption of the aggregates’ mixture and also the compressive strength of concrete at the age of 7 days. The workability and density were also analysed for fresh concrete. The graphic analysis of each property shows the relationship between those for recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) mixes and a reference mix using natural aggregates only (RC). The density and water absorption of all the aggregates in the mixture, for each substitution rate, were calculated in order to represent the exact proportion of each type of aggregate (natural and recycled). This method proved to be viable to estimate the variation of the properties of concrete with recycled aggregates by obtaining results for the three parameters mentioned above. This innovative procedure can contribute to increasing the use of recycled aggregates in the construction sector and make it a sustainable activity.     

Influence of recycled aggregate on slump and bleeding of fresh concrete

The recycling of construction and demolition (C&;D) waste as a source of aggregates for the production of new concrete has attracted increasing interests from the construction industry. While the environmental benefits of using recycled aggregates are well accepted, some unsolved problems prevent this type of material from wide application in structural concrete. One of the major problems with the use of recycled aggregates in structural concrete is their high water absorption capacity which leads to difficulties in controlling the properties of fresh concrete and consequently influences the strength and durability of hardened concrete. This paper presents an experimental study on the properties of fresh concrete prepared with recycled aggregates. Concrete mixes with a target compressive strength of 35 MPa are prepared with the use of recycled aggregates at the levels from 0 to 100% of the total coarse aggregate. The influence of recycled aggregate on the slump and bleeding are investigated. The effect of delaying the starting time of bleeding tests and the effect of using fly ash on the bleeding of concrete are explored.     

Influence of field recycled coarse aggregate on properties of concrete

This paper investigates the influence of different amounts of recycled coarse aggregates obtained from a demolished RCC culvert 15 years old on the properties of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). A new term called “coarse aggregate replacement ratio (CRR)” is introduced and is defined as the ratio of weight of recycled coarse aggregate to the total weight of coarse aggregate in a concrete mix. To analyze the behaviour of concrete in both the fresh and hardened state, a coarse aggregate replacement ratio of 0, 0.25, 0.50 and 1.0 are adopted in the concrete mixes. The properties namely compressive and indirect tensile strengths, modulus of elasticity, water absorption, volume of voids, density of hardened concrete and depth of chloride penetration are studied. From the experimental results it is observed that the concrete cured in air after 7 days of wet curing shows better strength than concrete cured completely under water for 28 days for all coarse aggregate replacement ratios. The volume of voids and water absorption of recycled aggregate concrete are 2.61 and 1.82% higher than those of normal concrete due to the high absorption capacity of old mortar adhered to recycled aggregates. The relationships among compressive strength, tensile strengths and modulus of elasticity are developed and verified with the models reported in the literature for both normal and recycled aggregate concrete. In addition, the non-destructive testing parameters such as rebound number and UPV (Ultrasonic pulse velocity) are reported. The study demonstrates the potential use of field recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) in concrete.     

Durability of recycled aggregate concrete designed with equivalent mortar volume method

Results of a comprehensive investigation about the durability of structural-grade concrete made with recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) are presented. The RCA-concrete mixes were proportioned using a new concrete mix design method, termed the equivalent mortar volume (EMV) method. The EMV method is based on the hypothesis that RCA is a composite material comprising mortar and natural aggregate; therefore, when proportioning a concrete mixture containing RCA, one must account for the relative amount and properties of each the two components and adjust both the fresh coarse aggregate and fresh paste content of the mix accordingly. Tests were conducted to study the freeze–thaw, chloride penetration and carbonation resistances of the mixes proportioned by the EMV method and by the conventional method. Results of the test showed that RCA-concrete mixes proportioned by the EMV method have higher resistance to freeze–thaw action, chloride penetration and carbonation than those designed with the conventional method, and they satisfy the current requirements for concrete exposed to severe environments.     

Short and long-term behavior of structural concrete with recycled concrete aggregate

Recycling concrete construction waste is a promising way towards sustainable construction. Coarse recycled concrete aggregates have been widely studied in recent years, however only few data have been reported on the use of fine recycled aggregates. Moreover, a lack of reliable data on long-term properties of recycled aggregate concrete has to be pointed out.In this paper the effects of both fine and coarse recycled concrete aggregates on short and long-term mechanical and physical properties of new structural concrete are investigated. The studied concrete mixes have been designed by adjusting and selecting the content and grain size distribution of concrete waste with the goal to obtain medium–high compressive strength with high content of recycled aggregates (ranging from 27% to 63.5% of total amount of aggregates).Time-dependent properties, such as shrinkage and creep, combined with porosity measurements and mechanical investigations are reported as fundamental features to assess structural concrete behavior.     

How do recycled concrete aggregates modify the shrinkage and self-healing properties?

This paper presents the main results of a research carried out to analyze the mechanical properties, intrinsic permeability, drying shrinkage, carbonation, and the self-healing potential of concrete incorporating recycled concrete aggregates. The recycled concrete mixtures were designed by replacing natural aggregates with 0%, 30%, and 100% of recycled concrete gravel (RG) and 30% of recycled concrete sand (RS). The water to equivalent binder ratio was kept constant and recycled concrete aggregates were initially at saturated surface dried (SSD) state. The contribution of the porosity of natural and recycled aggregates to the porosity of concrete was estimated to understand the evolution of the intrinsic permeability and the open porosity. At long term, the maximum variation of drying shrinkage magnitude due to recycled concrete gravels did not exceed 15%. The correlation between drying shrinkage and mass-loss through “drying depth” concept showed that recycled concrete aggregates are affected by drying as soon as concrete is exposed to desiccation. A good correlation between 1-day compressive strength and 18-month carbonation depth was observed. The recycled concrete aggregates presented a good potential for self-healing as the relative recovery of cracks reached up to 60%.     

Compressive stress–strain behavior of steel fiber reinforced-recycled aggregate concrete

The use of recycled aggregate from construction and demolition waste (CDW) as replacement of fine and coarse natural aggregate has increased in recent years in order to reduce the high consumption of natural resources by the civil construction sector. In this work, an experimental investigation was carried out to investigate the influence of steel fiber reinforcement on the stress–strain behavior of concrete made with CDW aggregates. In addition, the flexural strength and splitting tensile strength of the mixtures were also determined. Natural coarse and fine aggregates were replaced by recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) and recycled fine aggregate (RFA) at two levels, 0% and 25%, by volume. Hooked end steel fibers with 35 mm of length and aspect ratio of 65 were used as reinforcement in a volume fraction of 0.75%. The research results show that the addition of steel fiber and recycled aggregate increased the mechanical strength and modified the fracture process relative to that of the reference concrete. The stress–strain behavior of recycled aggregate concrete was affected by the recycled aggregate and presented a more brittle behavior than the reference one. With the addition of steel fiber the toughness, measured by the slope of the descending branch of the stress–strain curve, of the recycled concretes was increased and their behavior under compression becomes similar to that of the fiber-reinforced natural aggregate concrete.     

Effect of recycled coarse aggregate on damage of recycled concrete

This study evaluates the possibility of measuring the damage of the recycled concrete. In this way, two conventional concretes with a w/c ratio of 0.55 and 0.65 were designed. Based on them, six recycled concretes with different percentages of replacement of natural coarse aggregates with recycled coarse aggregate (20, 50 and 100%) were obtained. To take into account the high absorption capacity of the recycled aggregates, before using them they were pre-wetted for 10 min. The results concluded that scalar damage mechanics (based on the variations of the elastic modulus) and volumetric strains curves can be use to quantify the damage of the recycled concrete. The results from both approaches indicated that the damage to concrete depended on the percentage of replacement, increasing with higher replacement percentages. Additionally, values of the damage, that are quantified using the critical stress and according to the scalar damage mechanics, are given.     

A study of concrete properties using phyllite as coarse aggregates

Nowadays, industrial activities generate a huge amount of waste. One such activity is underground mining which generates phyllite wastes that are recycled as coarse aggregates for use in concrete production. Aggregate use in concrete is dependent on availability. This paper reports of an experimental study on some of the physical and mechanical properties of phyllite aggregate concrete as compared to granite (conventional) aggregate concrete. The obtained physical and mechanical properties of both aggregates for specific gravity, water absorption (%), dry density, aggregate impact value (%), aggregate crushing value (%), 10% fines, elongation index (%), flakiness index (%) and Los Angeles abrasion values satisfied minimum requirements for aggregates suitable for concrete production. Five mixes of concrete mix proportions designated M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5 were cast using phyllite and granite aggregates. A total of 400 concrete cubes and 210 modulus of rupture beams were cast and cured by total submerging in water for ages 3, 7, 14, 28, 56, 90, 180 and 360 days before compression and bending tests were performed. The results show that the trends in the development of compressive and bending strengths of plain phyllite concrete were similar to those in granite (conventional) aggregate concrete. However the compressive and bending strengths of phyllite concrete mixes were on the average 15–20% lower than those of the corresponding granite concrete mixes at all ages. The same concrete mix proportions gave lower concrete classes for phyllite compared to granite with the exception of the lowest grade. This was probably because the flakiness and elongation properties coupled with reactive materials in phyllite aggregates affect the absorption and bond characteristics of its concrete.     

Bond between steel reinforcement bars and Electric Arc Furnace slag concrete

This paper deals with the bond between steel reinforcement and recycled aggregate concrete, including Electric arc furnace (EAF) slag as full replacement of natural coarse aggregates. Pull-out tests were carried out according to RILEM standard on specimens made with six concrete mixtures, characterized by different w/c ratios and types of aggregates. Plain and ribbed steel reinforcement bars were used to observe the influence of steel roughness. Experimental bond-slip relationships were analyzed, and results show similar bond mechanisms between the reference and EAF concrete specimens. Significant bond strength enhancement is observed in concretes with low w/c ratio, when EAF slag is used as recycled coarse aggregate. Experimental results in terms of bond strength were also compared to analytical predictions, obtained with empirical formulations.     

Influence of recycled coarse aggregates on permeability of fresh concrete

The following work is an experimental study of the behaviour of very early-age concrete. Six different concretes, four of them containing recycled coarse aggregates were studied for the first 2.5 h. The studies were carried out in a ventilated tunnel in order to imitate severe desiccation conditions. In order to indirectly obtain the permeability coefficient, settlement, capillary depression and evaporation were measured for all six concretes. The initial permeability coefficient of each concrete is determined starting from initial bleeding rate. The use of recycled coarse aggregates leads to a high bleeding rate for high water to cement ratios. Permeability coefficients at air entry are then determined starting from capillary depression gradients. Recycled coarse aggregates do not seem to influence the air entry value which is highly dependent on the paste quality. At air entry, the permeability coefficient of recycled coarse aggregates concrete mixes is higher than that of natural aggregates concrete mixes. At high evaporation rates, in severe desiccation conditions, recycled coarse aggregates seem to reduce bleeding for mixture with low water cement ratios. Permeability coefficient is a key physical parameter to understand drying of fresh concrete.     

Influence of steam curing on the pore structures and mechanical properties of fly-ash high performance concrete prepared with recycled aggregates

In this research work, High Performance Concrete (HPC) was produced employing 30% of fly ash and 70% of Portland cement as binder materials. Three types of coarse recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) sourced from medium to high strength concretes were employed as 100% replacement of natural aggregates for recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) production. The specimens of four types of concretes (natural aggregate concrete (NAC) and three RACs) were subjected to initial steam curing besides the conventional curing process. The use of high quality RCA (>100 MPa) in HPC produced RAC with similar or improved pore structures, compressive and splitting tensile strengths, and modulus of elasticity to those of NAC. It was determined that the mechanical and physical behaviour of HPC decreased with the reduction of RCA quality. Nonetheless steam-cured RACs had greater reductions of porosity up to 90 days than NAC, which led to lower capillary pore volume.     

再生混凝土力学性能的研究进展

再生混凝土的应用,不仅能够解决废弃混凝土处理问题;又能降低因资源过度开采所引起的生态环境破坏,因而具有广阔的发展前景。相比于普通混凝土,再生混凝土的抗压强度、弹性模量以及抗疲劳性能较低,主要与再生骨料多方面因素的影响有关。对近年来再生混凝土力学性能相关研究进展进行了综述,再生骨料总吸水率是降低抗压强度的主要原因,疲劳性能则主要与再生骨料取代率和附着砂浆含量有关。在再生混凝土中掺加矿物掺合料能够改善新、旧双界面从而提高抗压强度和劈裂抗拉强度,掌握多个因素的影响和作用对再生骨料和再生混凝土进一步研究和应用具有重要意义。     

Residue strength,water absorption and pore size distributions of recycled aggregate concrete after exposure to elevated temperatures

In this paper, the effects of high temperature exposure of recycled aggregate concretes in terms of residual strengths, capillary water absorption capacity and pore size distribution are discussed. Two mineral admixtures, fly ash (FA) and ground granulated blast furnace (GGBS) were used in the experiment to partially replace ordinary Portland cement for concrete production. The water to cementitious materials ratio was maintained at 0.50 for all the concrete mixes. The replacement levels of natural aggregates by recycled aggregates were at 0%, 50% and 100%. The concretes were exposed separately to 300 °C, 500 °C and 800 °C, and the compressive and splitting tensile strength, capillary water coefficient, porosity and pore size distribution were determined before and after the exposure to the high temperatures. The results show that the concretes made with recycled aggregates suffered less deteriorations in mechanical and durability properties than the concrete made with natural aggregates after the high temperature exposures.     

Carbonation – comparison of results for concretes containing PFA,cementitious slag,or alternative aggregates

Abstract

Depths of carbonation on specimens of concretes aged for up to 10 years are compared. Both good and poor curing conditions, with either indoor or outdoor exposure are considered. It is demonstrated that the carbonation depth is related systematically to the standard cube strength in dense concretes containing up to and including 40% replacement of Portland cement by pulverized fuel ash (PFA) or up to and including 60% by ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) or ground pelletized blast furnace slag (GPBFS). The main implications of these findings to methods of specifying concrete (BS 5328: 1981) are that designed mixes may give higher rates of carbonation for low-heat Portland blast furnace cement, but not for other permitted cement replacements, and that prescribed mixes will usually give higher rates if Portland cement is partially replaced by any permitted quantity of cement replacement. Depths of carbonation in concrete containing porous aggregate are more closely related to total water/cement ratio than to standard cube strength. This is probably a result of a closer relationship between total water/cement ratio and pore structure, which controls the rate of carbonation. A comparison has been made between concretes containing porous aggregate and those containing cement replacements by introducing an efficiency factor (k) for cement replacements similar but not always identical to the cementing efficiency factor.

MST/690     

Assessment of mechanical properties of concrete incorporating carbonated recycled concrete aggregates

An accelerated carbonation technique was employed to strengthen the quality of recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) in this study. The properties of the carbonated RCAs and their influence on the mechanical properties of new concrete were then evaluated. Two types of RCAs, an old type of RCAs sourced from demolished old buildings and a new type of RCAs derived from a designed concrete mixture, were used. The chosen RCAs were firstly carbonated for 24 h in a carbonation chamber with a 100% CO₂ concentration at a pressure level of 0.1 Bar and 5.0 Bar, respectively. The experimental results showed that the properties of RCAs were improved after the carbonation treatment. This resulted in performance enhancement of the new concrete prepared with the carbonated RCAs, especially an obvious increase of the mechanical strengths for the concrete prepared with the 100% carbonated new RCAs. Moreover, the replacement percentage of natural aggregates by the carbonated RCAs can be increased to 60% with an insignificant reduction in the mechanical properties of the new concrete.     

The effect of superplasticizers on the mechanical performance of concrete made with fine recycled concrete aggregates

It is considered that using crushed recycled concrete as aggregate for concrete production is a viable alternative to dumping and would help to conserve abiotic resources. This use has fundamentally been based on the coarse fraction because the fine fraction is likely to degrade the performance of the resulting concrete. This paper presents results from a research work undertaken at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Lisbon, Portugal, in which the effects of incorporating two types of superplasticizer on the mechanical performance of concrete containing fine recycled aggregate were evaluated. The purpose was to see if the addition of superplasticizer would offset the detrimental effects associated with the use of fine recycled concrete aggregate.The experimental programme is described and the results of tests for splitting tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and abrasion resistance are presented. The relative performance of concrete made with recycled aggregate was found to decrease. However, the same concrete with admixtures in general exhibited a better mechanical performance than the reference mixes without admixtures or with a less active superplasticizer. Therefore, it is argued that the mechanical performance of concrete made with fine recycled concrete aggregates can be as good as that of conventional concrete, if superplasticizers are used to reduce the water–cement ratio of the former concrete.     

Effect of natural coarse aggregate type on the physical and mechanical properties of recycled coarse aggregates

Many environmental problems caused by the large volumes of construction and demolition waste (C&DW), the lack of adequate deposition sites and the shortage of natural resources have led to the use of C&DW as replacement of natural aggregates in the production of new concrete. As in the case of natural aggregates, when recycled aggregates are used to manufacture structural concrete, the assessment of their physical, mechanical and durable characteristics is a key issue. The different physical and mechanical properties of the recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) are evaluated. RCA was obtained by crushing conventional concretes with different strength levels (different w/c ratios) containing four different types of natural coarse aggregates (three crushed stones and a siliceous gravel), which differ in shape, composition and surface texture. There is a significant influence of the natural coarse aggregate (NCA) on the properties of RCA, which in many cases is greater than that of the w/c ratio of the source concrete.     

Pore characterization of manufactured aggregates: recycled concrete aggregates and lightweight aggregates

Accurate characterization of aggregates plays an important role in mixture proportioning of concrete mixes. Decisions made during the concrete design phase in terms of characterization techniques adopted for quantification of specific gravity or water absorption affect the development of fresh properties during the construction phase as well as impacting the long term performance of concrete. Manufactured aggregates such as recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) and lightweight aggregate (LWA) are more absorptive than natural aggregate. Due to the thrust on construction of sustainable structures usage of LWA and RCA has increased significantly in the last decade. In this study, standard ASTM techniques adopted for porosity and specific gravity measurement of aggregates were compared with automated testing equipment such as the helium pycnometer and the envelope density analyzer. Porosity of different aggregates obtained using different test methods was compared with image analysis. Pore diameter characterization of different RCA was conducted using image analysis.