Evaluation of mechanical properties of recycled aggregate for structural applications

Abstract EN

Recycling aggregates from construction and demolition waste can have positive environmental, economical, and engineering benefits if proper quality of the aggregate is assured.

One problem with the use of recycled aggregates (RA) from concrete structures is that the quality of the aggregate can vary due to many factors that affect the consistency, properties, and quality such as : 1) the type of concrete that is recycled ; 2) the stresses, conditions, and environment it has endured during its lifespan ; 3) the way it is crushed and processed ; and 4) the cleanliness of the new, recycled product.

Many research efforts have demonstrated an inverse relationship between the amount of RA used and the quality of the new concrete mix. An experimental investigation to determine the optimum volumetric ratio of the recycled aggregates that can be used in concrete mixes for structural applications is conducted.

The mechanical properties of the optimized mix are then evaluated and discussed.