Experimental Studies on Utilization of Recycled Aggregate and Recycled Aggregate Concrete

Abstract

Demolition waste, arising from the dismantling and destruction of buildings, constitutes a significant environmental
challenge for the construction industry. In India, the construction sector is responsible for generating an estimated annual waste volume of 15-16 million tons. While certain recoverable materials such as bricks, wood, and metal are successfully recycled in India, the recycling of concrete and masonry waste, which accounts for over 50% of the total waste generated, remains a major concern.

This paper aims to investigate the properties of recycled aggregate concrete through a series of experimental studies. The study
involves comparing the results obtained from recycled aggregate concrete with those of natural aggregate concrete, using equivalent proportions of mixes. The recycled aggregate concrete samples were prepared by substituting the natural coarse aggregate with recycled coarse aggregate at varying replacement percentages: 0%, 25%, 50%, and 100%. The objective is to analyze and evaluate the performance of recycled aggregate concrete with respect to its natural counterpart. The experimental investigation was performed in 2 phases. In 1st phase, the physical properties of coarse aggregate such as specific gravity, crushing value, Los Angeles, and Abrasion resistance were determined for recycled aggregate and compared with requirements of coarse aggregates to use in the road pavement. Results after environmental investigation have shown that coarse aggregate is not fit for the surface coarse because of high abrasion value, but it can be used as sub-base course in rural roads. In the 2nd phase, various concrete properties were assessed, including slump and compressive strength, along with different proportions of Natural Coarse Aggregate replaced with Recycled Aggregate.